


Kimnapped

by Katy133



Category: Disco Elysium (Video Game)
Genre: BAMF Kim, Bisexual Harry Du Bois, Canonical Game Style, Case Fic, Friends to Lovers, Harry is a recovering mess, Hurt/Comfort, Illustrations, Kidnapping, M/M, Memory Loss, POV Second Person, Post-Game, Present Tense, Referenced Torture, Screenplay/Script Format, Slow Burn, Suicide Attempt Mention, You are Harry Du Bois
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-13 00:34:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28644534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katy133/pseuds/Katy133
Summary: Returning to Martinaise for a case regarding a new protection racket, Kim is kidnapped and Harry has to find and rescue him. Not an easy ask of a detective who still finds the world so new and strange.
Relationships: Harry Du Bois/Kim Kitsuragi
Comments: 24
Kudos: 67





	1. The Case

**Author's Note:**

> I will be attempting to use punctuation similar to the original game. Therefore, text in *asterisks* is meant to represent text in italics.
> 
> The text will also be reduced to chunks, similar to the Twitter timeline the lead designer of disco Elysium was inspired by. So a new paragraph that is not given a new character tag is text being given by the previous paragraph's character, similar to the style of the game.
> 
> This fic contains ending spoilers for the game.
> 
> Also, apologies for the title's terrible pun. I couldn't resist.

PERCEPTION (HEARING) - The familiar music of the Whirling-in-Rags plays over the PA system, washing you with nostalgia. You've missed this place.

SHIVERS - This place has missed *you*. Welcome back.

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant pulls out a pen for his blue notebook. "Perhaps we should start from the beginning. Can you tell me what happened?"

GARTE, THE CAFETERIA MANAGER - "It all started yesterday morning. A man who I'd never seen before started asking me for *money*. 400 reál!" Garte wrinkles his nose in repulsion. "I of course sent him away. He left without much fuss, but as he walked out, he heavily implied that refusing him would have 'consequences'." Garte makes quotation marks in the air with his fingers.

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant's face is stoic. "I see. Can you describe this man?"

GARTE, THE CAFETERIA MANAGER - Garte thinks for a moment. "He was wearing a hat. A red trilby hat. Had clean clothes. A suit, that sort of thing. I don't really remember his face."

KIM KITSURAGI - Kim writes something down in his notebook.

YOU - "How can you not remember a person's face?!"

GARTE, THE CAFETERIA MANAGER - The manager visibly bristles. "That's rich, coming from you."

RHETORIC - [Failure] Touché.

GARTE, THE CAFETERIA MANAGER - Garte continues. "Then around 2:00, in the dead of night, there was a dreadful noise. I went out and saw that the greenhouse in the back had been smashed."

GARTE, THE CAFETERIA MANAGER - "That was when I called you." He pauses for a moment. "I specifically asked for you two."

PERCEPTION - Asked for *us*? Jules didn't mention *that* when he received the call.

EMPATHY - That pause was hesitation. He wondered if he should mention that last bit. It's vulnerable for him. Try not to draw attention to it.

LOGIC - He remembers what you and the lieutenant did for the Whirling-in-Rags. Risking your lives. He trusts you now. Both of you.

KIM KITSURAGI - Kim closes his notebook. "I think it is safe to assume that the man and the smashed greenhouse are connected. It sounds like he was asking for protection money."

PAIN THRESHOLD - "Protection money?" Is that money to buy ceramic armour?

YOU - Protection money? Do I know what that is?

ENCYCLOPEDIA - A protection racket is an intimidation tactic where a group guarantees a business, individual, or other group protection from violence, looting, and other such threats posed by them outside the sanction of the law. The entity being 'protected' pays the group in cash.

RHETORIC - In other words, it's a scheme. Protection money is the reál that is earned by this kind of scheme.

VOLITION - You're a detective. You've doubtless handled stuff like this before.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - You take a look around the cafeteria. The cafeteria looks tidier than the last time you were here.

VISUAL CALCULUS - Garte's cleaned up the place nicely. He's installed the replacement taxidermy bird you gave him. It's not up along the wall, greeting patrons.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - See that tiled area at the centre of the cafeteria? The circle of tiles, like a halo? That's where he stood. When you sang karaoke. When you dedicated the Smallest Church to him.

YOU - I remember.

INLAND EMPIRE - The centre of the cafeteria? No, no. He became the centre of your *universe*.

KIM KITSURAGI - "Detective?" Kim is looking at you now.

PERCEPTION (HEARING) - [Failure] Oops. Wasn't paying attention. Hard to with all these others in here, saying their bit.

INLAND EMPIRE - Don't you blame me!

YOU - "Yes, Kim?" (End thoughts.)

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant frowns and closes his eyes for a moment before continuing.

VOLITION - He realised you were on another planet.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - Additionally, he prefers you calling him "Lieutenant" in front of others. More professional.

SUGGESTION - He doesn't seem to mind you calling him Kim when you're *not* with others.

YOU - Why is that?

SUGGESTION - Just an observation...

PERCEPTION - Everyone, shut up, he's talking.

KIM KITSURAGI - "I think we should check the damages and surrounding area, then investigate this man in the red trilby."

YOU - "Sounds good, Lieutenant." (Leave the Whirling-in-Rags.)

SHIVERS - You step outside and it's like a plug connecting to a socket. You are once again a part of Martinaise and the feeling is electrifying.

YOU - You begin walking towards the back of the Whirling-in-Rags.

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant silently follows behind you.

RHETORIC - Why would a mafia group try to squeeze establishments for money in *this* district? It's not like Martinaise is rolling in it.

VISUAL CALCULUS - [Medium: Failure] You try to mentally calculate the amount of reál you could earn on a monthly basis by intimidating each shop. But you've never been good with money.

LOGIC - Whoever is involved in this protection racket is targeting Martinaise *because* it's a poorer area. Less means to fight back.

GREENHOUSE - The greenhouse in the backyard of the Whirling-in-Rags looks a lot more smashed up than last you saw it. The side closest to you is now almost completely gone, its shards exploding onto the floor of the greenhouse's inside.

VISUAL CALCULUS - Judging by the placement of the shards, something large hit the glass wall at torso level. Like a person had hit it with something solid.

YOU - "Well, damn..."

KIM KITSUAGI - "Vandalism?"

ESPRIT DE CORPS - It was more of a statement than a question. He moreso wants to know if you have any alternative theories.

YOU - "Agreed. Looks like this greenhouse was definitely vandalised."

KIM KITSURAGI - "The tool used to do this doesn't appear to be left here. The person--or *persons*--probably took it with them."

YOU - "It was one person. From the shard placement, it was one solid strike."

KIM KITSURAGI - Kim nods and writes something down in his RCM notebook. "Anything else?"

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - There's footprints in the mud. Like THE HANGED MAN case.

INLAND EMPIRE - Ah, the wheel turns, yet nothing is ever new.

VISUAL CALCULUS - Hmm... There's three different sets of shoes. We can eliminate the prints that are yours and Kim's. Judging by the size... the person was five foot three inches. The prints are that of a set of dress shoes.

YOU - "There's a set of dress shoe footprints. About five foot three. They're fresh." (Point to them.)

KIM KITSURAGI - Kim nods. "Good eye." He looks like he's about to say something else, but then stops himself.

EMPATHY - He was reminded of Eyes. His former partner. From Precinct 57.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - Years roll back. You see a vision of Lieutenant Kim Kitsuragi and another RCM halogen watermarked man standing in front of an abandoned factory. The man points up to a hole in the wall and speaks something you cannot hear. "Good eyes, Eyes," says the lieutenant. He always says this. It's their ritual. Their little in-joke.

AUTHORITY - DO NOT MENTION THIS TO THE LIEUTENANT. DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT.

YOU - "Kim, what was your previous partner like?"

AUTHORITY - For fuck's sake.

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant's eyes go dark as he looks away. There's a sadness there.

YOU - (Say nothing.)

KIM KITSURAGI - Eventually, he speaks. "Eyes. He was killed during an investigation two years ago. I don't like talking about it."

YOU - "I'm sorry, Kim. Let's continue the case."

KIM KITSURAGI - There's a clear relief on his face. A thankfulness that you aren't pressing him on this. "Yes. Let's."

YOU - "Um. So, what do you think we should do next?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "I think we should visit each of the different businesses in Martinaise and interview the owners. See if they've also been visited by the red trilby-wearing man."

YOU - (Begin walking towards the bookstore.)

BOOKSTORE - The bookstore remains standing in the Doomed Commercial Area. Annette is not standing outside, despite the mild weather.

YOU - "Let's go inside."

PLAISANCE - The owner of the bookstore looks up as the bell of the door chimes. She recognises you. "Oh. Hello, officers." She does not sound pleased.

EMPATHY - She probably remembers how you botched the Doomed Commercial Area curse case. From her point of view, anyway.

ANNETTE - Plaisance's daughter is sitting in the corner reading something. She gives you a cheerful wave.

VOLITION - You should have worn the hat she gave you today. You like it. Makes you feel like a true detective.

REACTION SPEED - You give a little, quick as lightning wave back to Annette. So quick, Plaisance doesn't seem to have noticed.

PLAISANCE - "Unless you're here to purchase some literary goods, I'm very busy. Yes, very busy." Her voice is clipped.

RHETORIC - 'Busy'? Look around. The place is empty.

LOGIC - She's too busy for *you*. Life is short. She wants to spend as little of it interacting with you as possible.

YOU - "We'll get out of your hair as soon as you tell us what we need to know."

SUGGESTION [Failure] - You try to convince the book peddler to be interviewed, but she does not appear to be having any of it.

PLAISANCE - "Oh *no* you will not! I'll not entertain your incompetence any further. Not again. You'll bungle something and anger the evil anti-financial spirits!" She clutches at her gold pendant.

LOGIC - Don't even try to reason with her regarding the 'curse'. Logic isn't what got her into this frame of mind, and logic isn't what will get her *out* of it.

KIM KITSURAGI - Kim coughs pointedly. "Madam, we are here to investigate a suspect who is trying to *cause* financial distress toward the businesses of Martinaise. It would be in your best interest to come forward if you have any information. We simply have a few questions."

AUTHORITY - He's exercising that consummate professionalism of his.

SUGGESTION - He's also appealing to her business-conscious nature.

PLAISANCE - Her face seems to de-thaw. "Oh, my. How *dreadful*! Someone is trying to *invoke* the curse?! I hope you find the scoundrel!" She seems very worked up now. "Ask your questions, officer. I'd like to help if it will aid in tracking down this vile person."

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant smiles and takes out his notebook. "Tell me, has anyone visited your bookstore recently asking for money?"

PLAISANCE - "Why yes. The store was visited by a man. Never seen him before. I didn't give him any." She pauses before adding, "Not *one* reál! I *thought* he looked shady. I said that to my little Annette at the time. Didn't I dear?"

ANNETTE - The child looks up from her book. "Huh?"

DRAMA - The bookstore woman did not say that to Annette, sire. Hindsight is twenty-twenty.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - When she moves to look up at her mother, you're able to glimpse the cover book she's reading. It's a Dick Mullen novel!

VISUAL CALCULUS - It seems her taste in books has changed to detective fiction.

INLAND EMPIRE - A hummingbird beats its wings and a sea away, a hurricane is constructed. Though we may not be aware, our presence creates ripples.

KIM KITSURAGI - "What did this man look like?"

PLAISANCE - "He was wearing a loud, crimson hat and a suit with muted greys. Younger man, possibly his thirties? Light-coloured, feathery hair. Had a very sleazy expression."

RHETORIC - The 'sleazy' part might be biased due to what the lieutenant told her.

DRAMA - No, even when she first saw him, sire, she thought the man was indeed sleazy. He was dripping with sleaze, even then.

KIM KITSURAGI - Kim takes note of this, pen in hand. "How much money did he ask for?"

PLAISANCE - "100 reál."

ENCYCLOPEDIA - Same amount as the Whirling-in-Rags.

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant nods, once.

YOU - "Thank you, ma'am. Kim, let's blow this popsicle stand." (Leave bookstore.)

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant pops up his collar just a little bit higher as he steps out the door of the bookstore.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Kim looks so cool. He makes being cool look effortless.

KIM KITSURAGI - "When Garte refused to pay the man, the greenhouse was vandalised around 2:00."

LOGIC - Therefore, if the bookstore woman refused to pay him, then her establishment is due to get vandalised in several hours.

YOU - "Looks like it's our time to shine, Kim."

YOU - You update your notebook with a new task. Looks like Kim saved you back there.

New task: Find the man in the red Trilby.

YOU - Yeah, Kim saved our bacon.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Kim is great.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - A great detective.

VOLITION - With a great heart.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - He's a star in the sky that makes the Earth you stand on feel much brighter. He is kind and patient to you, despite you being the agent of chaos that you are.

REACTION SPEED - Wait. Now that you mention it... why *does* the lieutenant do this for us? He put a lot of work in sending that request to transfer to Precinct 41. Your co-workers saw it as a major coup for your department.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - Duty for one's fellow officer?

EMPATHY - No, no. It's something else. Let's marinate on that thought for a while.

Thought gained: Kim's Motivation. (Research time: 14h)


	2. Stakeout

Time: 01:30

COUPRIS KINEEMA - The Coupris Kineema--still Kim's, by some miracle, after his transfer to Precint 41--sits parked by the mailbox. The headlights and engine are off. The windshield is rather conspicuously pointing at the bookshop.

KIM KITSURAGI - Kim sits in the driver's seat, eyes on the bookstore.

YOU - And you're sitting shotgun, doing the same.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - No sign of a man in a red hat. Nor anyone, for that matter. It's the middle of the night.

HALF LIGHT - This is boring. You should jump out of the Kineema and have a run around the district. Get that heart of yours pumping.

COMPOSURE - Absolutely not. That will ruin the stakeout and hurt the investigation. Just relax.

INLAND EMPIRE - Can't we at least turn on the radio to Sad FM? The soul needs nourishment.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - There is a guideline by the RCM that states that the radio should not be playing music during a stakeout. This is to prevent being unable to overhear something, as well as preventing valuable time lost fumbling to switch it off when something suddenly happens.

SUGGESTION - Kim might indulge you if you ask.

YOU - You whisper over to Kim. "Stakeouts are a lot more boring than I thought they'd be."

KIM KITSURAGI - "It is a part of being a member of the RCM. It may not be as exciting as a car chase, but it's crucial." A corner of his lips quirk up.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - He agrees that it's boring. At least I'm not doing this alone, he thinks.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - Still nothing.

YOU - As you sit in Kim's car, your mind wanders.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - You glance at the back seat. The water spill from what Kim revived you after your fainting spell is gone now. No stain is left on the upholstery.

SUGGESTION - You really ought to try and buy a set of spinning rims for the Kineema. As a thank you to Kim. Perhaps the pawnshop still has them.

For now, why not make small talk to pass the time?

YOU - "Kim, tell me a secret about yourself."

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - I would smack the side of your head if I could.

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant raises an eyebrow at you. "No."

YOU - "Just, 'no'?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "Just no," Kim repeats. But there's a smile there, even in his voice.

EMPATHY - It's going to take more than *that* if you want to learn more about me, he thinks.

YOU - "I'm trying to have a conversation with you to form a sense of comradery. It's very important for partners to be able to talk to each other."

KIM KITSURAGI - "Alright, but I don't want to talk about myself." There's a tiredness to his voice. Staying up for a stakeout will do that.

YOU - "Alright..." You try to come up with a suitable subject to grasp onto. "What were you like at your old precinct?"

KIM KITSURAGI - There's a mixture of ire and confusion on his face. "That *is* about me." He's trying to keep his voice level.

COMPOSURE - He's trying not to scream.

SUGGESTION - [Failure] Kim must have been the most popular guy on the force.

YOU - "I bet you were the most popular guy on the force."

KIM KITSURAGI - Kim takes off his glasses to polish them.

EMPATHY - He does that when he feels vulnerable. Tread carefully.

YOU - You sense that he's going to speak, so you say nothing.

KIM KITSURAGI - "I wasn't." He places the frames back on, adjusting it. "I did my job to the best of my abilities." He keeps his eyes on the bookstore.

DRAMA - He speaks the truth, sire.

VOLITION - Respected is not the same as popular.

HALF LIGHT - He had to do his best and *become* the best because there were so many who would find any excuse to keep him in juive cases.

YOU - Why?

HALF LIGHT - He was the only member in his precinct who looked like he was from Seol. The RCM is not without its prejudice.

LOGIC - And he looked a lot younger than he was. It allowed him to believably pose as a teenager.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - Around ten years ago, a man wearing white rectangles turns to another. "Sir, when do you plan of pulling Kitsuragi from the Juvenile Crime Unit?"

The other looks at him with a face like thunder, sipping his coffee. "What makes you think I even plan on doing that?"

"Sir, it's been *15 years*. The man is too overqualified for this shit."

YOU - You stare at Kim. He doesn't look up at you.

COMPOSURE - It's rude to stare. Have some decency.

SUGGESTION - You want to say something, don't you?

YOU - "They should have made you a lieutenant way earlier, Kim."

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant looks away from the bookstore to look at you.

COMPOSURE - There is a shiver there. He doesn't look it, but he's unnerved.

KIM KITSURAGI - "It still surprises me how you can do that." He shakes his head.

INLAND EMPIRE - You are the Human Can-Opener, after all. Also a mind-reader.

LOGIC - I think not.

EMPATHY - There is a part of him that's impressed.

YOU - "I *am* the Human Can-Opener, after all. Also psychic." You say this matter-of-factly.

KIM KITSURAGI - His mouth becomes a smile and a laugh escapes him.

EMPATHY - He's more open with you now. He wouldn't have laughed this openly when the two of you had just met.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Your heart beats a bit faster. You like making him laugh.

INLAND EMPIRE - There is a fog unlifting. Something is coming.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - From the corner of your eye, you see movement. A human figure in the dark.

REACTION SPEED - It's the suspect! Quick! Do something!

INTERFACING - Lean over to Kim's side and take the wheel!

YOU - You whisper, "K-Kim... Over there."

KIM KITSURAGI - His eyes narrow. "I see them."

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - The figure is distant, and there isn't enough light to see colour, but they are *definitely* wearing a hat with a brim!

VISUAL CALCULUS - Using the front door of the bookstore as a measure of scale... yes... he looks about five-foot-three. Like the footprints.

KIM KITSURAGI - His movements are slow and careful, like a tiger getting ready to pounce.

INTERFACING - His hand reaches out to the lever that will set the Kineema to drive forward.

AUTHORITY - Over there is a suspect in a case. Stick your head out of the car this instant and yell, 'I AM THE LAW'.

LOGIC - You'll loose the element of surprise if you do that.

YOU - You say nothing, waiting for Kim to drive.

KIM KITSURAGI - But Kim doesn't drive.

HALF LIGHT - Is he broken? This is the time for action.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - He's watching to see what the trilby-wearer will do. The hat hasn't seen us yet. If you can catch them trying to vandalise the bookshop, there'll have less plausible deniability when we question them.

FIGURE IN THE TRILBY - The figure pulls out a large, slender object--a crowbar--and walks up to the front window of the bookstore. They raise up the crowbar...

REACTION SPEED - THEY'RE ABOUT TO SMASH THE PLACE UP. DO SOMETHING.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - These seconds are critical--Annette and her mother are sleeping in the living quarters of the bookstore. Imagine what's going to happen if that glass breaks. The surprise wake up, the fear, the process of paying for a replacement window.

INTERFACE - You've still got hands, you know.

YOU - You flick on the switch Kim showed you to turn on the headlights. It's like a drop of the sun has just been unleashed.

FIGURE IN THE TRILBY - The figure--a man--stops mid-swing. You've prevented the window from getting murdered, but now is the task of questioning the guy.

KIM KITSURAGI - Kim's jaw clenches and he hits his foot on the pedal.

COUPRIS KINEEMA - The police car drives forward with a burst of speed, like it's been waiting for this.

EMPATHY - Kim's not sure if you made the right call to reveal ourselves like that, but there isn't exactly time to argue with you.

COMPOSURE [Failure] - What are you doing? No, really, what are you doing?

YOU - I am covering my face with my eyes. We're going too goddamn fast.

COMPOSURE - And how does covering your eyes help?

YOU - It doesn't.

COMPOSURE - Then I suggest you do something else in this precious time. You're reaching the man in the trilby with alarming speed.

HALF LIGHT - OH GOD WATCH OUT.

REACTION SPEED - You bring your arms up, bracing yourself.

COUPRIS KINEEMA - Kim's Kineema stops suddenly when it reaches the man and the bookstore. Neither get hit. The momentum of the car lurches you forward, but you don't smack your head against the windshield.

PAIN THRESHOLD - You're fine.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Kim's a speed demon behind the wheel. It excites you.

ENDURANCE - It would excite you *if* you didn't have more pressing matters.

TRILBY - The man in the trilby has eyes that are wide and pupils that are pinpricks. After the initial shock, he shields his eyes with an arm and runs off.

INLAND EMPIRE - Let's call him Trilby. That's his True Name. As sure as the stars. I can feel it.

KIM KITSURAGI - "Damn it," the lieutenant says through gritted teeth. He fumbles to get the car door open.

REACTION SPEED - You open the door on your side and jump out.

YOU - "You're under arrest!"

VISUAL CALCULUS - He was running to our right... to the space between the bookstore and the Whirling-in-Rags... which means he's heading to the backyard. This gives him several possible escape routes...

You see a blue and red tinted diagram of the backyard in your mind's eye. Some of the routes seem less likely than others, requiring him to smash up things, creating unwanted noise. And some would require Trilby to own keys.

You narrow down the possibilities to two main prongs--a) He tries to climb over the fence toward the apartments, or b) He climbs on top of Cuno's shack, making his way to the union workers' site.

TRILBY - He moves to the left, towards broken, lower section of the fence.

SAVOIR FAIRE - There we go. Cut him off.

REACTION SPEED - [Failure] You are *way* too far away to do that.

ENDURANCE - You clearly need to make changes to your exercise regimen.

YOU - You start wheezing and break to a stop, your legs turning to pudding.

AUTHORITY - Don't let him get away.

KIM KITSURAGI - Kim runs past you, towards the fence that Trilby has just managed to climb over.

However, the lieutenant struggles trying to climb the obstacle. The boards wobble under his weight. He tries to gain balance, else he might faceplant into the mud.

Eventually, Kim returns, empty-handed. Trilby is gone.

He walks back to you, frustration on his face until he focuses on you. "Are you alright?"

COMPOSURE - Say something. Take deep breaths and say something.

YOU - "I'm okay, Kim," you manage to breathe out.

\---

THE BALCONY OF THE WHIRLING-IN-RAGS - Kim had his daily cigarette earlier--before the stakeout--so his hands are empty as the two of you stand on the balcony, discussing the case's progress.

YOU - "So, what do you think?"

KIM KITSURAGI - He leans his arms on the rail, looking out at the view. "I think... things could have been better."

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - He looks handsome. And cool. Very cool.

VOLITION - You realise that is wasn't the cigarettes that made him appear cool. It was just him.

YOU - "We can still catch him. At least now we know what he looks like."

KIM KITSURAGI - "It would have been more ideal to have caught him, but... yes."

EMPATHY - He's frustrated, but he also knows that things could have gotten a whole lot worse. At least Trilby wasn't armed with a pistol.

YOU - "What do you think we should do tomorrow?"

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant turns away from the lights of the island and looks into you. "That man is our lead in this case. Locating him and questioning him should be our top priority."

AUTHORITY - 'Question' him? This should be an open-and-shut case.

YOU - "Why question him? Isn't he the one who wrecked the greenhouse?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "Probably. But he might be working with a group of people in an attempt to build a mafia-style operation in Martinaise.

COMPOSURE - [Failure] Uh-oh.

YOU - "Damn. What will happen if we mess up then?"

KIM KITSURAGI - He gives you a look.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - Why would you even *ask* that, he thinks.

KIM KITSURAGI - "Then we will have failed Martinaise. And, by a larger extent, Revachol. We will have failed her." He says it matter of factly.

His fingers fidget a little. Like he went to reach for something in his pocket, but thought better of it.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - A lighter. He wants another cigarette. But he won't give into the feeling.

KIM KITSURAGI - "Even if that's not the case and he was working alone, we will also want him to give a statement for the report to send for his sentence."

YOU - You nod stoically.

KIM KITSURAGI - Kim nods back, in the silence.

YOU - You both nod in the silence for an absurd amount of time.

ENDURANCE - You're going to do your neck an injury if you keep at this.

\---

WHIRLING-IN-RAGS - You cross the hallway to your rooms and...

INLAND EMPIRE - There is a chill in the air. Something's *off*. Talk to Kim some more.

RHETORIC - About what? We've already exhausted a conversation on the balcony.

DRAMA - My liege, why not say something a little out of left field? Or a lot out of left field? Something dramatic to get his attention?

CONCEPTUALIZATION - Ask him about the game you found in the Doomed Commercial Area.

YOU - "Hey, Kim. Would you ever consider us teaming up to make that radio-based roleplaying game?"

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant is silent for a moment, but is vibrating.

COMPOSURE - He's trying not to laugh.

KIM KITSURAGI - But he *does* laugh. He wipes an invisible tear from his eye, adjusting his glasses. "I am *very* sure, detective."

EMPATHY - The mental image of the two of you leaving the RCM to become roleplaying game developers was too much to handle.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - You are an artist waiting to happen. Kim is too.

YOU - "You're missing an opportunity, Kim. Imagine if we could change the world with our *work*."

KIM KITSURAGI - He smiles. "We already do. In our own way."

ESPRIT DE CORPS - Time rewinds. Through door 20 of the apartments, a lieutenant and a lieutenant-yefreitor stand in front of a woman crying into a handkerchief. The lieutenant in the orange jacket quietly says, "I'm sorry for your loss, madam."

INLAND EMPIRE - In the alternate timeline where the Horrific Necktie fulfilled its dark purpose, the world would be a sadder place.

HORRIFIC NECKTIE - *Me*?? What did *I* do??

YOU - Yeah, what did my necktie ever do to you?

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - Shh...

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant shakes his head, trying to his his grin, hand on the doorknob to his room. "Goodnight, detective."

YOU - As the door to Kim's room gently closes, you feel a thought you left in the Cabinet growing.

Thought solved: Kim's Motivation - So. You've been thinking a lot about Kim lately. Why did he transfer to Precinct 41? Why is he so kind to you?

Because you work well together? Harry, he can work well with so many other, better-qualified officers. Because he has less of a painful history than your co-workers? No, he's seen your metaphorical dirty laundry and hasn't been scared off. Because he's really kind-hearted? Well, yes, he is kind-hearted, but that's not it.

No, it's actually much more simple than that, and also a lot more complicated. You see--and you are probably going to hate me for saying this, but--it's because Kim likes you. Genuinely. As a person. You saw him as an individual and he's done it back in kind.

PAIN THRESHOLD - You feel something in you that is both uplifting and sinking.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - This is like The Good Stuff. What have you been eating? Or drinking? Or smoking?

YOU - I've given all those things up.

LOGIC - [Failure] Then what...

SUGGESTION - What is this feeling?

DRAMA - Also, know that we will know if you're lying. We're in your head.

YOU - I want to do right by Kim. But it's more than that...

SUGGESTION - Hmm? What else.

YOU - I'm not sure. I wish I knew.

INLAND EMPIRE - Be careful what you wish for. It might happen.

SUGGESTION - Another thought project then?

Thought gained: Feelings Around Kim. (Research time: Unknown.)

YOU - 'Unknown'?!

INLAND EMPIRE - It will happen when it happens.

\---

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - There is nothing. Only the senseless, murky blackness of the void.

Until *he* showed up.

YOU - The dark fades away, revealing a Coupris Kineema sinking into the ocean. You are sitting on the topmost part of it, surrounded by cracked ice.

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - Tell me, Harry boy. Did you ever figure out *why* that horrific necktie of yours was playing merry-go-round on the ceiling fan?

YOU - It was because I got drunk and started undressing myself in my hostel room for some reason.

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - And?

YOU - 'And'??

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - Oh, Harry, boy. You really don't get it, do you?

YOU - What do you mean? I started undressing while I was drunk and then passed out.

VISUAL CALCULUS - No... The way the necktie was... It didn't just *land* on the ceiling fan, like it would have it it was *thrown* up in the air. No. You had to *pull* it out. It took *effort*. It was *tied* there.

LOGIC - Oh God.

YOU - I... I tried to hang myself on the fan, didn't I?

LOGIC - That's why you woke up on the ground. Directly above the ceiling fan...

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - That's right, my dear brother. There you were, your vision darkening, inviting it in, watching stars flashing and bursting behind your eyelids...

And then you slipped out of the knot. Before you were able to go for good.

A failed end. Just one more fuck up on your list of things you've fucked up.

LIMBIC SYSTEM - And that list will keep growing, Harry. It will only keep growing.

COUPRIS KINEEMA - The blue police car you are perched on begins to noticeable sink lower. Unless things change, you will eventually become submerged too. But you don't bring yourself to move a muscle.

INLAND EMPIRE - A sound plays in your mind. Unpleasant and strange before, but friendly and familiar now--It's Kim's Kineema.

YOU - You remember Kim's car was the very first sensation you heard in this new life. And it fully dawns on you that it was what woke you up. Despite it being an absolute fluke, despite it being completely unintentional, Kim saved you from perhaps never waking up.

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - That one's been nothing but trouble.

LIMBIC SYSTEM - Harry, you should think very carefully. Do you really want to drag even more people into your messes? Are you really that selfish?

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - Forget about the binoclard in the bomber jacket. He'll get you hurt.

LIMBIC SYSTEM - Or you'll get *him* hurt.

YOU - You're suddenly in the Tribunal. Time has stopped. You look around in the large as life diorama. A bullet hangs in the air, pointed at you. To your left, Kim points his pistol at the man in the ceramic armour.

LIMBIC SYSTEM - How many of these days do you think the two of you can survive?

INLAND EMPIRE - A lucid feeling comes over you. You are in the backseat of your mind, with someone else holding the reins. Take them back.

YOU - This is a dream. Leave me alone and let me sleep.

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - Oh, we've been 'letting' you do quite a lot for quite a while now. And look where it's got you. Look at the bridges you've burnt, the people you've hurt. You've driven your life--and your car--off into the sea.

You're like the whirling of that broken tape recorder, playing the same sad tune over and over.

You've found yourself at the bottom of a bottle before. What makes you think this time will be different?

Trust me, Harry. You'll be a disappointment to him just as much as you've been a disappointment to all of us. Let it go and come back to us.

LIMBIC SYSTEM - Remember. 'Alcohol always gives you a second chance. It's *merciful* that way'.

YOU - I'll get better. I've gotten better.

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - And you've gone back to your old habits time and time again. You're a dog chasing your tail, Harry. There's no win state here. No redemption to be found.

LIMBIC SYSTEM - And there goes the alarm clock. Time to unfurl the covers, Harry. Time to don the fake hat and be a fake detective.

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - But you aren't fooling anyone.

\---

YOU - You wake up in the Whirling-in-Rags. Room 1. The same one as last time. You fumble for a moment, trying to silence the alarm clock.

HAND/EYE COORDINATION - A little to the left, and... you've got it.

LOGIC - It's 7:00. Kim will be waiting for you. He took room 2.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - Prove *them* wrong. Don the Dick Mullen hat and the brown trenchcoat. Look the spitting image of a *real* detective.

YOU - Take the wide brimmed hat and the trenchcoat you found by the pinball machines, along with the rest of your attire.

You finish your morning ablutions and step out into the hallway.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - You look to your left, expecting Kim, but he isn't there. Concerningly, the door to his room is open.

LOGIC - [Failure] He might have left the door open for some fresh air and still be inside.

RHETORIC - Why would he do that? There is a perfectly serviceable window in his room.

SUGGESTION - Maybe he forgot?

ESRIT DE CORPS - That's not like him.

INTERFACING - Maybe the door's lock stopped working properly.

INLAND EMPIRE - Something isn't right. There is a stillness. A blankness just before the collision.

YOU - You knock on the open door. "Kim?"

PERCEPTION (HEARING) - Nothing.

INLAND EMPIRE - The single die is spinning and it only has two sides. Like a fork in the road. It hangs in the air, waiting.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - It's considered a faux pas to enter a fellow officer's living space without their permission. But members of the RCM can enter a place if they believe there's an emergency...

YOU - You walk into room 2. Kim is not there.

But signs of a struggle are.


	3. Search Party

YOU - You look around the room. "What the hell?"

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - There's something on the ground. A white handkerchief?

LOGIC - It's not Kim's. His handkerchiefs have a red border.

YOU - You pick up the white cloth. It's been balled up into the size of a fist.

PERCEPTION (SMELL) - You don't even need to sniff. The scent is dizzying.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - It's chloroform. You can knock out a horse with that.

ENCYCLOPEDIA - Chloroform is a compound commonly used in medical circles. It is a colourless and strong-smelling liquid. It is also used to incapacitate, daze, or even murder victims.

VOLITION - No...

ESPRIT DE CORPS - Earlier, Lieutenant Kitsuragi is surprised. From behind him, and hand grasping a cloth covers his mouth. There is a struggle, but his body quickly goes limp into the arms of the sinister figure.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - It's like a grotesque parody of a bridal carry. Kim is in the arms of someone dangerous.

YOU - This is... I need to find Kim!

ENDURANCE - It's like the air is being squeezed out of you.

PAIN THRESHOLD - Oh my God...

SUGGESTION - [Failure] Let's just try and calm down--Stop breathing like that!

COMPOSURE - Get a hold of yourself, for God's sake. You'll be of no use to the lieutenant if you have a panic attack.

YOU - You pull yourself together.

LOGIC - You need to deduce something.

INLAND EMPIRE - Astral project. Let your mind leave your body and search for Kim's essence from beyond the pale.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - Think. Kim is smart. And quick-thinking. Even if he was caught by surprise, he would have left a clue for you.

VISUAL CALCULUS - He would have had seconds to do so. And it would have been something that the kidnapper wouldn't notice. Look for something subtle.

KIM'S ROOM - Kim's alarm clock is on the floor in a corner of the room, pushed off the writing desk with some force.

LOGIC - It's stuck at 6:03. That must be when it broke. And when the struggle occurred.

YOU - That doesn't really help me with finding Kim.

VISUAL CALCULUS - It could give us a timeline of how far Kim would be. It was less than two hours ago, so Kim should still be in Martinaise.

SUGGESTION - Let's have a look at Kim's desk.

DESK - The wooden writing desk has the lieutenant's blue notebook, open to a page. A set of headphones rests on top of it, plugged in.

INTERFACING - Kim owned a portable radio headset?

LOGIC - He was listening to it at the time while writing. He didn't hear the assailant enter the room.

VISUAL CALCULUS - You can picture it perfectly. The lieutenant was writing at his desk, listening to something on his headset, his back away from the door. The door was opened, and someone came up behind him. There was a struggle, Kim batted away the clock in his flailing, and was then taken away.

YOU - You look at the page left open in Kim's notebook. The lieutenant was listing possible hideouts that Trilby could be using. He's crossed out some possibilities. The remaining ones are the various derelict buildings by Land's End.

INLAND EMPIRE - There is an unpleasant electricity in the air. You are missing something. Look around.

YOU - What am I looking for?

CONCEPTUALIZATION - A thread of the universe that you must unpull. Let the red thread unravel in your hands until you find your other half.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - There is a glint just beneath Kim's bed and you see...

INLAND EMPIRE - A mystical amulet?

ENCYCLOPEDIA - It's a brooch pin.

PIN - The object is a metal pin--clasp missing--with a round piece of artwork as the head. Canvas, but the looks of it. It's been painted with some red, yellow, and blue, with no logical pattern.

YOU - It looks like it's a piece of a bigger painting.

HAND/EYE COORDINATION - And someone made it into a brooch.

YOU - Why?

RHETORIC - Everyone needs a hobby. Even kidnappers.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - The image of the paintings set up in Ruby's lair form in your mind's eye. Broad brushstrokes of bold, bright colours, forming abstract shapes.

YOU - The bastard's been to the art building near Ruby's hideout.

LOGIC - You've got it.

AUTHORITY - The detective is on the case.

\---

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - You've been skipping your leg days since being a gym teacher, but you've more than made up for it in running from case to case.

RHETORIC - What if you're wrong and you've got the wrong building?

YOU - I wish Kim was here.

You've exited the Whirling-in-Rags and are down the main road now.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT/HEARING) - The two men by the crater are playing their ball game. The friendlier one shouts to you, "Morning officer!"

VOLITION - IGNORE HIM.

YOU - Thank goodness the bridge of the water lock has been repaired.

SHIVERS - Revachol's finest is in danger. She wants to aid you in your recovery of her officer.

YOU - You cross it.

\---

ABANDONED BUILDING - The building is made of exposed brick and cement, with the sea salt winds removing any remaining paint, save for a mural protected by glass. The building stands three floors high.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - This was a place of art at one point. A gallery for artists.

SHIVERS - This is the one. Kim is in here. Sure as the building's cement foundations.

YOU - You try the handle of the door. It's locked. Of course it's locked.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - You break down the door. It really, *really* hurts as your shoulder collides into the wood, tearing off the hinges.

PAIN THRESHOLD - This is nothing. Just shrug it off.

EMPATHY - Funny how painless things are when you're looking for a friend in peril.

YOU - In the darkness, you pull out your flashlight.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - The summer heat has caused condensation to drip along the ceiling, making it slick with moisture.

SHIVERS - The walls once showcased an exhibition on the nature of humanity. A difficult subject to commit to canvas. This exhibition would be one of the dominoes of this building's demise.

YOU - You walk further into the building. This place looks very unoccupied.

SHIVERS - [Failure] I... I can't feel him. He must be somewhere in here, but I can't feel him.

INTERFACING - The door to the basement is a lot easier to dismantle. The screws on the hinges have rusted through. With the edge of your flashlight, the screws simply snap off.

YOU - You walk down the stairs.

SAVOIR FAIRE - Silently. Someone dangerous might still be around.

SHIVERS - This is the area where guests would not be permitted.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - Your flashlight beam lands on a plastic fold-up chair. A familiar face sits upon it, tied to it. It's the lieutenant. He's been blindfolded. His head tilts down, like a defeated prisoner.

YOU - You gently shake him. "Kim? Kim!"

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant doesn't stir.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - Check Kim's eyes.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - You untie the blindfold and gently use a thumb to pull open one of Kim's eyelids. His eye is dilated, rolled back into his head.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Has he been drugged?

LOGIC - It might still be the effects of the chloroform.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - His bomber jacket is missing.Where is it?

ESPRIT DE CORPS - It's his favourite. The halogen watermarks he added himself. It wasn't a standard RCM jacket.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - He looks so much smaller without it. More wiry. You realise that the ever-present jacket created the illusion of a wider torso and thicker arms.

EMPATHY - His current condition isn't helping either. He looks very hurt and you feel a pang at your core at the thought.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - The right side of his face is bruised, like it's been hit by someone left-handed. There are laceration marks on his arms, from what looks like a blade. His wrists are red and raw from trying to escape from the tied knots.

PAIN THRESHOLD - Whoever did this wasn't trying to kill him. They were torturing him.

HAND/EYE COORDINATION - You're able to untie the knots without cutting them, saving the risk of trying to slide a knife next to Kim's skin to cut his binds.

REACTION SPEED - Help him up. Quickly.

YOU - "If you can hear me... It's okay, Kim. It's okay." You sidle up next to Kim and lift him to his feet, your arm around his torso and arm. His other arm hooked around your shoulders.

PERCEPTION (HEARING) - You hear the sound of a shard of glass sliding on the cement floor. Like a piece of a broken bottle being accidentally bumped by a foot.

REACTION SPEED - There he is!

YOU - You point your flashlight at him. The silhouettes of his trilby appears as a giant shadow behind him along the wall.

HALF LIGHT - This is the man who kidnapped Lieutenant Kim Kitsuragi.

YOU - "Motherfucker..." With your free hand, you pull out your gun from your holster and point it at him.

TRILBY - The man in the red trilby looks at you, eyes wide, like a creature caught in headlights. He moves only to raise his hands up. He's unarmed.

AUTHORITY - SHOW HIM WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE WHO HARM ONE OF OUR OWN.

PAIN THRESHOLD - MAKE HIM FEEL THE PAIN YOU'RE FEELING. THE PAIN *KIM* IS FEELING.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - No. This isn't the proper way. You're *better* than this, Harry.

RHETORIC - Why? Would *he* have cared about "the proper way" if your roles were switched?

VOLITION - Once you make this choice, you won't be able to undo it. You will need to live with the consequences.

EMPATHY - What would *Kim* want?

KIM KITSURAGI - Kim's body weighs heavy in your arm. His lips do not move.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - The lieutenant does not think highly of officers who take human lives when it can be avoided.

YOU - "Goddamnit." You sigh and gesture to the folding chair with your gun. "Sit."

TRILBY - The man is scared out of his wits. His mouth opens and closes like a fish a few times before saying, "What?"

AUTHORITY - Did he not hear you?

YOU - "I said, *sit*."

TRILBY - The man has definitely heard you this time, because he obeys. He even places his arms and legs parallel to the chairs legs, getting ready for you to tie him up.

AUTHORITY - The man knows when he's licked.

HAND/EYE COORDINATION - You carefully set Kim down, leaning against a wall, and use the rope to tie Trilby to the chair. Your knots are tighter than strictly necessary.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - Using the same rope to tie him with. Poetic justice.

LOGIC - You'll need to return later to question him. Making sure the lieutenant is alright is of higher priority.

You leave with Kim's limp body over your shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's notes: Illustration 1: [Harry Walks Down a Flight of Stairs](https://www.deviantart.com/katy133/art/Harry-Walks-Down-a-Flight-of-Stairs-867306876) by Katy133.
> 
> I would like to give a big thank you to Coda, Cody, Vimi, and Miko for helping me with this drawing. I was having so much trouble figuring out the perspective of the the ceiling where the stairs turn. Because the ceiling would be tilted, it was very tricky to figure out where the wall disappeared and from what angle. I ended up making a quick 3D model of that corner in Sweet Home 3D, which helped as well. So thank you to Coda, Cody, Vimi, and Miko for their feedback. Figuring it out together was like cracking the Da Vinci Code, lol.


	4. Patching Up

ENDURANCE - You're somehow keeping the same pace by the time you've reached the Whirling-in-Rags.

PERCEPTION (HEARING) - You can hear Garte tinkering with something behind the counter. It abruptly stops as you walk across the cafeteria. He's probably spotted you carrying Kim like a sack of flour.

GARTE, THE CAFETERIA MANAGER - "My god. Is he alright?"

LOGIC - Kim still needs medical attention. Talking to Garte will take time. Time is something you have very little of. You can explain the situation to him later.

YOU - You ignore the man and continue up the stairs.

CLEANED APARTMENT - You open the door to your room in the Whirling-in-Rags, walk across the floor rug, and set Kim down into the sofa.

RHETORIC - It's a fold-out bed.

CONCEPTUALISATION - Any sofa can become a bed under the right circumstances.

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant still hasn't woken up. His head tilts to the side, with the arm of the sofa as his pillow.

YOU - What do I do?

LOGIC - We're in Martinaise. Unless Kim is in critical condition, a copter isn't going to come to pick him up to take to a hospital.

YOU - This *isn't* a critical condition.

PAIN THRESHOLD - To emergency responders, it isn't. He's still breathing and he hasn't been shot. As far as the responders are concerned, they can't justify using a copter to quickly get here, and a motor carriage will take too long.

YOU - Bastards. What about a doctor?

ENCYCLOPEDIA - [Failure] As far as you know, there are no doctors in Martinaise.

YOU - WHAT?

LOGIC - Remember when you got shot? Kim was the one who treated you.

SHIVERS - In this very room. On this very sofa.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - You can now help him the same way he helped you. Return the favour, detective.

YOU - But I don't know how to be a doctor! I'm not a doctor!

CONCEPTUALIZATION - Then you will need to *become* one if you want to help Kim.

YOU - What if I screw up?

AUTHORITY - You *better* not.

ENDURANCE - Start with checking his vitals. You already know he's breathing. Does he have a fever?

YOU - You place a hand over his brow. It's warm, but there doesn't seem to be a fever.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - That feels good, actually. Keep your hand there some more.

VOLITION - No time, we need to move on.

YOU - So there's no fever.

VISUAL CALCULUS - Good. A fever could be a sign of infection. Which is possible, given the lacerations.

YOU - In your mind's eye, you see an array of medical symptoms in blue and red threads, arranged in columns and rows.

VISUAL CALCULUS - Here, that should help you out.

YOU - Thanks, brain. What next?

ENDURANCE - Is he dehydrated?

YOU - You lightly pinch the skin at the top of Kim's wrist.

ENCYCLOPEDIA - If the skin stays in place, it may be a sign of dehydration--The skin not having enough moisture to move the tissue.

YOU - Okay, so the skin moved back. He's hydrated.

EMPATHY - It just means he's likely not *dangerously* dehydrated. You should probably try to give him some water if you're able to.

New Task: Get some water for Kim.

YOU - You go to the bathroom and get a mug of water from the sink. You also scrounge a first aid kit from behind the mirror.

INLAND EMPIRE - Lookit that. The *cure* is at home in the mirror too.

YOU - You return to Kim, also grabbing the yellow chair to sit down in.

FIRST AID KIT - The metal case feels heavy in your hands. You hope that it has whatever Kim needs.

YOU - What's inside it?

FIRST AID KIT - You pop open the metallic lid and stick your hand in, pulling out an object at random. The lucky object is a bottle of surgical spirits.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - You need to make sure Kim's cuts are clean so that they don't get sceptic.

YOU - You take a cloth that's also in the kit and soak it in the spirits.

HAND/EYE COORDINATION - You start dabbing at the lacerations--Carefully.

YOU - "Kim, is this okay?"

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant doesn't appear to react. You watch as his chest moves up and down.

PAIN THRESHOLD - [Failure] It'll be painful for Kim, but he's still unconscious. Will he feel it in his sleep?

INLAND EMPIRE - Somewhere within Kim, tiny animals start fighting other tiny animals. The medical alcohol eventually wins.

ENDURANCE - As you're swabbing the wounds, the thought begins to fully creep upon you that you'll need to stitch Kim up.

YOU - Can't... I dunno. Can't Garte do this?!

HALF LIGHT - Garte? The cafeteria manager who watched the tribunal *from the roof*? And left as soon as the guns went off? This is not a man who likes to see blood.

COMPOSURE - You can do this. You've accomplished many things while thinking on your feet.

YOU - "Okay, I can do this..."

HAND/EYE COORDINATION - There's a needle and thread in the first aid kit. You begin closing the wounds on his limbs.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - You're doing surprisingly well, all things considered.

YOU - What about these smaller cuts?

ENDURANCE - Leave them. They don't need to be stitched. They should clot and heal on their own.

SUGGESTION - Now would be a good time to try to revive Kim.

YOU - You some of the water from the mug into your palm. Dipping your fingers into the tiny pool, you begin flicking droplets onto Kim's brow.

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant doesn't stir. You have to stare silently on his white shirt for an awkward amount of time to make sure that it's moving up and down. He's still breathing.

COMPOSURE - Don't panic. Try again.

YOU - "Kim?" You flick some more droplets of water at his head.

KIM KITSURAGI - There is a flinch in his entire body and Kim blinks open.

SHIVERS - The Sun and stars return and Revachol breathes a sigh of relief. Her finest is back.

KIM KITSURAGI - He looks at his surroundings and then meets your eyes, squinting.

EMPATHY - He doesn't have his glasses. He's trying to focus his eyes on you.

KIM KITSURAGI - "Harry..." The world stops. The lieutenant has never called you by your name before.

INLAND EMPIRE - This is Important. We have reached a new horizon.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - He's dazed. He said the first thing that came to his mind. Normally, he would keep things professional and call you by your title.

YOU - "Here, drink this." You help him sit up with your hand to his back. You bring the mug of water towards him.

KIM KITSURAGI - He tries to bring up his arms to take the mug, but winces. He instead lets you tilt the water to his lips.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - Winter in Martinaise. A detective lies in a lieutenant's Coupris Kineema. The vehicle's owner presses something to the detective. "Drink."

KIM KITSURAGI - Your mind returns to the present. Kim swallows the life-giving water, his Adam's apple bobs. Some of the water misses its destination and drips to the side of his mouth.

Task complete: Get some water for Kim.

YOU - "What happened?"

KIM KITSURAGI - He shakes his head. "I should be asking *you* that. I remember someone coming up behind me in my room. And the smell of chloroform..." He thinks for a moment. "I woke up blindfolded, to three voices..." His voice trails off.

EMPATHY - He's having trouble vocalising what he saw. This is difficult for him. It happened only hours ago.

New task: Talk to Kim about what happened. (This may take some time.)

YOU - "We can talk about this later. How are you doing?"

KIM KITSURAGI - He looks down at his own body and at the set of stitches on each of his limbs. "You did this?"

EMPATHY - [Failure] We fucked up the stitches. We did it wrong and Kim *hates* us.

DRAMA - Tell him a doctor did it. You can still save yourself, sire.

LOGIC - No. Tell him the truth. Because if you make up a doctor who doesn't exist, you will *also* have to explain where they came from and why they aren't here now.

YOU - "Y-Yes? I did?"

KIM KITSURAGI - Kim turns and puts one foot onto the floor, followed by the other. It takes visible effort, but he's sitting upright now. He doesn't look up at you as he mumbles something.

PERCEPTION (HEARING) - It was, "Thank you".

EMPATHY - Whoops. I had misread Kim earlier. Sorry. He's actually glad you did that.

YOU - You smile. "Hey, I got to help you the same way you did after the tribunal."

KIM KITSURAGI - "Yes." He's looking down at his feet. "We'll need to identify the mafia group quickly."

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - He'll need more time to heal. Otherwise his stitches might tear.

YOU - "You rest, Kim. I can handle them. I'm a supercop now. I'm changing my copotype from sorry cop to supercop."

KIM KITSURAGI - He huffs out a laugh.

EMPATHY - He still thinks copotypes are stupid.

KIM KITSURAGI - "No. This is something that needs two officers. We'll begin our search tomorrow."

ESPRIT DE CORPS - "He doesn't want you to return to the place you found him. You aren't armed with enough information."

INLAND EMPIRE - The bookshop! There could be a cool, mysterious mystery there once again. And it's close enough from the Whirling-in-Rags that Kim couldn't *possibly* object.

YOU - "Okay, but I can still... Investigate the bookshop?"

EMPATHY - He still won't look directly at you. This is like when he takes off his glasses to wipe them. His heart is opening.

KIM KITSURAGI - "Just. Be careful, detective. We don't want to *both* be left in stitches before the end of this case."

EMPATHY - His tone. He's making a joke, but his warning is sincere.

YOU - You smile. "I'll watch my step."

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant smiles at you. And everything seems okay for a moment.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Oh. *Oh.*

YOU - What was that 'Oh' for?

Thought solved: Feelings Around Kim - This feeling. This tightness in your chest when you're with Kim. This elated happiness you feel when you make him smile. You've felt this before, a very long time ago. Six years ago in fact.

You felt this long before you found yourself at the bottom of a bottle. You felt this when you were with Her.

The answer is once again simple, yet also complicated...

VOLITION - The Realisation comes upon you.

YOU - I'm in love with Lieutenant Kim Kitsuragi.

ENDURANCE - Harry, how are we feeling about this Realisation? Say something.

YOU - "Oh, fuck."

COMPOSURE - I think you're taking it rather well, all things considered.

YOU - You place a hand over your heart and stumble back a step, righting yourself before you take a tumble.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Alright, *alright*, Harry! Now we're talkin'! So, you've got a crush on Kim there? That's great! Think of the possibilities!

YOU - Like what?

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Embracing him?

YOU - Okay...? And...?

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Having hot sex with him?

YOU - I'm listening.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Kissing him!

YOU - That sounds great actually. How would we get to the kissing part?

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Glad you asked, buddy! You go on a *date* with him!

CONCEPTUALISATION - You picture walking along a picturesque version of the island's beaches with Kim, holding hands. He looks at you and smiles. The wind makes the front of his hair bob gently.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - This doesn't sound very professional... Becoming romantic partners with your partner.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Are you even *hearing* yourself? Becoming romantic partners with your partner makes the two of you even *more* like partners! The clue's in the name! You'll become more in-sync. It will get your efficiency in sexy crime-solving up by one-hundred-percent!

YOU - I like the idea of solving cases with Kim as romantic partners... Sounds nice. Especially if we're solving *sexy* cases--But the idea of changing our current, platonic relationship sounds really scary.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - But think about it. You love him, right? What else are you going to do? *Not* do anything about it??

HALF LIGHT - Well, saying nothing is alway an option...

YOU - Wasn't love the reason I got into this mess in the first place?

LOGIC - Actually, it was the alcohol and drugs. But love and loss was what got you there in the first place.

INLAND EMPIRE - You won't fall from grace the same way with Kim.

ENDURANCE - You're stronger now. Smarter. Wiser. You know what to expect now.

YOU - Actually... what *do* I expect this time?

HALF LIGHT - [Failure] Pain. Heartbreak. Loss. Death...

YOU - That doesn't sound very disco...

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - No, no--That one's got the wrong idea. *Think* about how much fun it would be to go on a date with Kim!

YOU - A date? What are dates?

ENCYCLOPEDIA - Harry, we know you've suffered amnesia recently, but you already know what a date is. You're not fooling anyone.

YOU - But... can I have a reminder? And what would a date with *Kim* be like?

VOLITION - During THE HANGED MAN case, you started thinking about your sexuality. You came to two conclusions.

YOU - Remind me again what they were.

ENCYCLOPEDIA - Harry, harry...

VOLITION - Firstly, you came to the conclusion that you needed to stop thinking about your sexuality and concentrate on the case. You were busy. There was work to be done.

YOU - Okay... Can I start thinking about my sexuality again?

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Kim. We're Kimsexual.

VOLITION - *I'll* save you another multi-hour mind project this time. You're bisexual, Harry. You've been enchanted by men and women in the past.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - So what do you say? Are you gonna pursue a romance with the lieutenant?

YOU - I'm going to tell Kim how I feel. And if a date is the first step, then let's do it! (Opt in.)

New task: Ask Kim to go on a date and tell him your feelings.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - YEAH, BABY! NOW WE'RE TALKING!

VOLITION - Whether you decide to tell Kim or not, your Realisation has irreparably changed things.

TUTORIAL AGENT: Your Thought Cabinet realisation has shifted the universe. From this point on, Kim's tag will be changed to just KIM.

KIM - Kim raises an eyebrow. "Are you alright?"

LOGIC - He heard you say, 'Oh, fuck,' out loud, followed by a long silence, with no additional context.

YOU - Shit. I don't want Kim to know why I said that!

DRAMA - My liege, just give another reason why you said that. Say you left the tap on in the bathroom.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Or, you know, tell Kim you love him. Right now.

COMPOSURE - You feel a heat creep over your neck, but manage to prevent yourself from blushing through sheer willpower.

YOU - "I-I left the tap on in the bathroom. It'll probably be overflowing by now."

KIM - Kim turns his head towards the direction of the joint bathroom, squinting, as if he's trying to see through the walls into the room. "I can't hear it running."

PERCEPTION (HEARING) - It doesn't take a detective to be able to deduce the tap in *not* running. It would take someone with very poor hearing to even question it.

YOU - You look around to try and find something to say. Some sort of distraction.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - The place looks so different from when you used it during THE HANGED MAN case... You've just noticed that the curtains are yellow.

LOGIC - Garte has had time to spruce up the room and accumulate the funds to purchase replacement furnishings.

RHETORIC - [Failure] Talk about the curtains.

YOU - "Uh, the curtains are yellow now."

KIM - It takes a moment for Kim to realise what you just said. He glances over in the general direction of the lemon curtains. He squints and seems to give up. "I'll take your word for it, detective."

COMPOSURE - [Failure] Ouch.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - [Failure] There isn't anything that you can see from here that you can mine for conversation.

HALF LIGHT - [Failure] Run away.

YOU - "I, um... I'll leave you to rest for now."

REACTION SPEED - Before Kim can respond, you quickly leave the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm currently trying to update this fic weekly. I have an outline, and am writing as I go. There was an additional half-week delay for this one, due to busyness. On the 23rd, I got to give a web seminar talk about hosting game jams, so that's good. Also, I ended up splitting this into two chapters because it ended up being really long.
> 
> There should (hopefully!) be less delays from here on out.


	5. Ask

YOU - You take a run around the Whirling-in-Rags, because that's how you've decided to handle this new problem.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - Nothing like a bit of cardio to lift the spirits up.

RHETORIC - This is nice and all, but you're going to have to face the music at some point. This is merely a short-term, temporary solution to your newly-realised feelings towards the lieutenant.

YOU - Eventually, you go back to talk to Kim. Most of the day has passed. When you return, he is still on your sofa.

KIM - If your sudden departure surprised Kim, he doesn't show it.

COMPOSURE - He is used to your ways at this point. He won't question every little thing unless he finds it needed.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - He's also... got glasses again now? Where did those come from?

YOU - "So. How are you holding up, partner?"

KIM - "I'm okay. The stitches are healing up nicely."

DRAMA - He's not downplaying things, sire. He hasn't developed a fever at any point, which is a good sign.

KIM - Kim smiles. "You did a good job."

CONCEPTUALIZATION - It feels like your lungs are glowing.

COMPOSURE - [Failure] Don't blush, don't blush...

YOU - You blush.

RHETORIC - Quick, change the subject.

YOU - "Did you lose anything important?"

KIM - He pauses to think. It's often tricky to notice the thing that is *absent* rather than notice what has *appeared*. "I still have my gun, thank god. I have left it in the Kineema. Amusedly, it remains there."

CONCEPTUALIZATION - [Failure] There's a good joke in here somewhere about how you lost your gun and Kim hasn't... You just don't know how to word it.

KIM - "I also lost my jacket... It can be... replaced. But it has my halogen watermarks and my badge."

EMPATHY - It hurts him to say that the jacket can be replaced. That jacket means a lot to him.

LOGIC - The jacket also contains his Astra cigarettes, which means he will have to go without his favourite brand for the time being if the nearby Frittte is sold out.

YOU - "Don't worry, Kim. We'll get it back."

KIM - He nods, not quite believing you, but also not wanting to get into a row about it.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - This means that Kim is going to be walking around without a jacket. Something that you generally never see.

VOLITION - Don't look at Kim's shirt. Staring directly at it would be like staring into the sun.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - I'm sure a peek won't do any harm.

YOU - You glance down.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - The shirt looks clean. It's possibly pure cotton, or a synthetic blend.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Whatever it is, it looks soft. Tilt your head onto Kim's shoulder and press your cheek against the fabric to investigate further.

COMPOSURE - Actually, *don't* do that, maybe?

ENCYCLOPEDIA - [Failure] You can't discern where the shirt could have been bought. There is a lack of iconography to link it to a particular company.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - The neckline forms a V-shape... You never noticed that before...

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - The lack of jacket also reveals more of his collar bone.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - It brings a chill up your spine.

COMPOSURE - Think. About. Something. Else.

KIM - "Khm." Kim half-coughs and you look up. He appears to have noticed you drifting miles away. "I also lost my glasses. Fortunately, I had a spare pair in the Kineema."

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - [Failure] They look exactly the same to you.

REACTION SPEED - Hold on a tick. He said 'the' Kineema. Not *my* Kineema. What if someday, he says, *our* Kineema.

YOU - "Lucky you had a spare. I wouldn't want my partner stumbling around for the rest of the case."

KIM - "Yes, I imagine that would cause some issues." He's smiling softly. Then he frowns, his eyes darkening. "We should talk about what happened."

SHIVERS - The motes of dust in the sunlight shift in direction. The lieutenant is about to explain something difficult.

KIM - "I was writing in my room. I think I must have left the door unlocked. Stupid of me... Someone came up from behind me and a cloth was placed over my mouth." Kim stops to assess your expression.

YOU - You don't speak. Your face is stoic.

KIM - The lieutenant continues. "Then I came to, tied to the chair."

INLAND EMPIRE - Something dark is opening up inside you. None of this should have happened to Kim.

KIM - Kim's eyes squeeze shut in concentration. "Their voices... There were three. I'd recognise them if I heard them again. One was the man in the red hat. Another was an older voice. And the third didn't speak a lot. He sounded... like the muscle of the group."

LOGIC - Normally, torture is used as a means to an end. To collect information from someone.

YOU - "Did they question you at all?"

KIM - "No. That was the strange thing. I had expected them to do that. But the just seemed intent on making me feel pain."

LOGIC - So we can eliminate the motive of collecting information. Which leaves...

YOU - "They wanted to intimidate us?"

KIM - "Yes. They didn't want the RCM to get involved."

AUTHORITY - They wanted to send a message. 'Stay out of Martinaise'.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - In an alternate universe, where you failed to find Kim, his lifeless body is left on the doorstep of the Whirling-in-Rags the next morning, just for you. A threatening note is attached to his back.

EMPATHY - You start to hurt as you think about it.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - This isn't guilt. This feeling is part of your link with your partner. 'Cut one, the other bleeds'.

YOU - "Kim, I'm so sorry..."

KIM - He seems to snap out of a daydream from that. His voice becomes hard. "No. Don't. This wasn't your fault. There is nothing for you to apologise for."

YOU - "I just... I don't want you to get hurt." You feel stupid saying it. It feels like you shouldn't have to say it aloud.

KIM - "I'm back here, with you. I'm safe. You realised I was missing, and then found me. You did very well."

VOLITION - It's as if him saying it out loud makes it more real. We are alive. We are safe. We are together.

YOU - "What exactly did they do to you?"

KIM - Kim shakes his head. "You don't want to hear that."

VOLITION - You really don't.

EMPATHY - He wants to protect you. Let him.

YOU - "I need to know."

KIM - Kim closes his eyes. "The one who sounded like the muscle... used *something* against my arms and thighs. I suspect a knife to create the initial wounds, followed by steel wire to deepen the cuts."

ENCYCLOPEDIA - He means steel wire tied around the appendage, parallel to the cut. Movement would cause the steel to dig into the wound, cutting it further.

PAIN THRESHOLD - Don't picture it. Don't.

KIM - He visibly decides that that's all he wishes to describe. "I don't remember blacking out, but I remember waking up to seeing you."

SUGGESTION - He's trying to word it in a very clinical and detached way. He wants neither you nor himself to dwell on it.

YOU - I am *definitely* dwelling on it...

AUTHORITY - Something coils up inside you, like the hammer of a gun. It's charged and it's ugly and it's *angry*.

EMPATHY - It isn't 'angry'. It's *anger*.

COMPOSURE - [Failure] There is a tremble in your hands. Like you're trying to rip the chair you're sitting in in half.

KIM - Kim reaches out and places a hand on your shoulder. "We'll deal with them together. As the RCM."

ESPRIT DE CORPS - By the book.

VOLITION - He doesn't want you to get consumed by hate. He likes you the way you are.

COMPOSURE - You feel your face soften as you try to calm yourself down. Deep breaths. One after another...

Task complete: Talk to Kim about what happened.

SUGGESTION - While you're riding your dopamine high of completing a task well done, might I suggest taking this opportunity to ask Kim on a date?

YOU - Is now a good time?

SUGGESTION - If not now, then when?

YOU - Fair enough.

KIM - You're about to open your mouth, but Kim slowly gets up and walks towards the door.

EMPATHY - [Failure] It's hard to read his face. Did he realise what you were going to say?

INLAND EMPIRE - He's getting so far away... What if he disappears entirely?

YOU - "Wh-Where are you going?"

KIM - "I need a smoke."

EMPATHY - Oh.

SHIVERS - The sun is setting. Martinaise is being painted in orange and gold. The shadows through the window begin to grow long.

\---

YOU - You follow Kim out to the balcony.

KIM - He puts a gloved hand into one of his pockets and pulls out a cigarette--he must have kept a spare packet of Astras in his room--and places it between his teeth.

EMPATHY - But there's a twinge of frustration when he realises he's missing something. He begins patting his trouser pockets.

PERCEPTION (HEARING) - He mutters a barely audible, "Damn it..."

LOGIC - There's no light without fire.

YOU - You don't smoke, but you have a lighter. Because you never know when you might need to set some graffito on fire, or light a furnace.

"Here." You bring out the green lighter, flicking it open with a satisfying *click*, and offer the flame to Kim.

KIM - Kim untenses and leans into the lighter.

YOU - You cup the flame, shielding it from the wind.

PERCEPTION (TOUCH) - There is a summer wind along the balcony. Warm, lazy, and gentle.

KIM - The end of the cigarette turns to ash and the lieutenant pulls away. He gives you a nod and leans on the balcony railing.

EMPATHY - It was a nod of thanks.

KIM - He grips the cigarette with his left hand and takes a drag. A moment passes and the smoke floats out into the open space.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Oh, to be a cigarette between Kim's lips...

ENCYCLOPEDIA - [Failure] There are many ways to hold a cigarette. And they each have their own names. The way Kim always holds a cigarette between his index finger and his thumb... you know not the name for it... and less...

CONCEPTUALIZATION - This is a typical end-of-the day-with-Kim for you... but today... Today, it feels strangely different?

YOU - And by 'different', you mean...?

CONCEPTUALIZATION - By 'different', I mean, 'incredibly romantic'. How have you missed this all this time?

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Being in love with this man makes the world feel *better*. It's like a high without the crash. You want more of it, like an addict.

ENDURANCE - Just don't let it *become* an addiction.

YOU - What do you mean?

ENCYCLOPEDIA - 'Addiction.' Noun. 'Physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse effects.'

YOU - Don't become dependent on Kim. Got it.

VOLITION - Remember--Independence doesn't mean you're without a shoulder to lean on. The lieutenant has shown time and time again to be someone watching your back. It's a nice feeling.

INLAND EMPIRE - He is your lighthouse in the storm. Protect him. Keep him safe.

SUGGESTION - There isn't going to be a better moment than this. Ask him out.

YOU - Before I do that, can you give me some advice? I thought you all were supposed to help me?

RHETORIC - Don't use the word 'date' when you form the question. It puts too much pressure into the situation. Too many stakes.

YOU - Does it count as a date if you don't call it a date?

RHETORIC - [Failure] Uh... What do you others think?

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - If there's partying and fun and Kim involved, it's a date in *my* book!

VOLITION - Either way, spending some quality time with Kim sounds good.

YOU - Okay. I'm going to ask him now.

You refocus your attention to Kim. "Hey, Kim. I want to ask you something."

KIM - "Yes?"

INLAND EMPIRE - Look at him. He has no idea you're about to ask him a question that could change your fates forever.

AUTHORITY - Looks good. Atmosphere seems fine. Carry on. Go and ask him so he can give you his answer.

RHETORIC - Aren't we forgetting something? What if Kim says no?

HALF LIGHT - [Failure] OH FUCK. WE DIDN'T THINK ABOUT THAT.

COMPOSURE - [Failure] The temperature of the room seems to increase dramatically.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Why oh why did you have to say that *now*?

SAVOIR FAIRE - Harry?! Don't fuck up. *Please*.

YOU - The question is trying to form itself in you mouth. You're *almost* there. "Uh..."

HALF LIFE - [Failure] ABORT. WE ARE ABOUT TO REACH THE POINT OF NO RETURN.

SAVOIR FAIRE - Be cool.

YOU - "Can we have a drink together and hang out?" You wince. "Uh, not alcohol--not for me, anyway--but you know? Hang out?"

KIM - The lieutenant considers this, rolling the solider between his fingers. "Alright then."

HALF LIGHT - Well. We failed. We should start a new life in Jamrock--Wait, what? We did it?

RHETORIC - That went... surprisingly well.

VOLITION - Don't ruin it.

YOU - "You... Oh. Okay then." You try to give the Expression...

COMPOSURE - [Failure] ...But it doesn't appear as smooth as you hoped it would.

You're not even sure what it *looks* like right now.

KIM - But Kim smiles at it, and that's what counts.

REACTION SPEED - Don't forget a time.

YOU - "What time do you want to do this?"

KIM - Your partner hums in thought for a moment. He makes a noise. "Khm... 21:00?"

ESPRIT DE CORPS - Because that's after work hours. And Kim will need to recover for a day before we can continue the case.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - A date after the sun sets is more romantic anyway.

YOU - You nod.

KIM - Kim nods back.

YOU - You give one more nod back and then cease. Before your head unhinges from its skeletal moorings.


	6. Investigate

CLEANED APARTMENT - You wake up to find your room in the Whirling-in-Rags is knee deep in water.

YOU - "OH FUCK. OH SHIT. OH. WHAT!"

LOGIC - [Failure] We're on the second floor... Has the entire world flooded? Or did you *actually* leave the bathroom tap on?

YOU - You stand up. The water uncomfortably waterlogs your socks instantly. You sludge through the water to open your bathroom door...

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - ...To find the island you and Kim travelled to whilst playing Sad FM.

YOU - Okay...

LOGIC - [Failure] This really doesn't feel right. bathroom doors should lead to bathrooms.

YOU - You walk out of the water to reach the sandy shore. A cool breeze combs through your hair.

PERCEPTION (HEARING) - The beach is strangely silent without Sad FM. Like standing in a vacuum.

YOU - You don't say a word.

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - First a god. Now a man with a halo... You always had a weakness for saints, Harry.

YOU - Dolores Dei? She's not the same as Kim.

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - How would you even know? You don't *remember* what she was like.

SHIVERS - A horn sounds in the distance, somewhere near the East.

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - I'd tell you to stop. To throw in the towel and not pursue this *thing* with him. But you're not one to give up, are you, Harry?

INLAND EMPIRE - The clouds are darkening. A storm is approaching.

VOLITION - They're fearful that accepting Kim as your love will open your heart *too* much. That you'll become too vulnerable. To love is to lose.

YOU - You're worried that caring about someone will make me vulnerable again?

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - 'Vulnerable'? He's going to MURDER YOU.

YOU - Kim would never do that.

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - Maybe not *intentionally*, Harry boy, but he will eventually.

LIMBIC SYSTEM - You are too trusting, Harry. Once again.

SHIVERS - The world seems to misplace you. Everything turns to dark ash.

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - Forget about this. Come back... Find Elysium.

YOU - What is Elysium?

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - Elysium is your only salvation, dear brother. It is the place you're meant to be. Your one true home. The promised land.

ENCYCLOPEDIA - In Insulindian mythology, Elysium is the afterlife for fallen heroes, specifically. A reward for their honourable acts of service. It appears as a paradise to each individual warrior. This myth has since fallen out of contemporary belief and religion.

LOGIC - They want you to find the afterlife. Which means...

YOU - You want me to die, Ancient Reptilian Brain?

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - Don't sound so betrayed, Harry. Oblivion is the only place you're safe from everything. And the only place where everything is safe from *you*.

YOU - Fuck off. I am doing this.

HALF LIGHT - You hear a deep laughter inside your skull and it fills you with an unnamed dread.

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - Then love him, Harry. Love him to death.

\---

YOU - You wake up in a cold sweat. The morning sunlight is pouring in through the window above your bed. You remember that your partner is resting in his own room now.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Today's date night! Rise and shine!

SAVOIR FAIRE - Get out of bed and stretch.

SUGGESTION - So... What are we going to do before 21:00?

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - Shower first. For god's sake, shower first.

YOU - You walk to the bathroom and start your ablutions at the sink and mirror. Some time passes and you're leaning over the bathtub, turning on the water. You submerge yourself, and have a good soak.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - There's something purifying about washing yourself. You're cleansing both the body and the soul.

INTERFACING - Now you're towelling yourself off. Feels nice. Glad you did this?

YOU - You begin to reach for your inventory of clothes, but then the question strikes you--What to wear? You're going on a date.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - Wear something that is impossible to forget. You should wear something that is so bright, Kim cannot look directly at you. Become a *star*.

VOLITION - Be yourself.

RHETORIC - What *is* 'yourself', really?

SAVOUR FAIRE - Wear something that is significant. Symbolically.

YOU - You put on a white collar shirt, the Horrific Necktie, your disco-ass blazer, and your flare-cut trousers.

SUGGESTION - Nice. The outfit you wore when you and Kim first met.

LOGIC - It's morning. You'll have to wait several hours till 21:00.

VOLITION - [Failure] Waiting is going to be *utter* hell.

INTERFACING - You had better keep yourself occupied and *not* sit on your laurels until 21:00.

YOU - You pull out the brooch from one of your pockets, inspecting it between your fingertips.

What can you tell me about yourself, pin?

PIN - My clasp is missing. It was small and solid, made of cork.

LOGIC - It got separated when Kim pulled it off the assailant. We knew that already.

YOU - Who wore you?

PIN - The man in the scarlet hat.

LOGIC - Trilby.

YOU - Your left arm is getting tired holding the clue, so you drop in into your right palm, holding it clavicle-level.

What were you made from?

PIN - The painting I am from was titled, 'Epiphany #47'. It was a modest piece compared to the others of its collection, spanning only 10 by 7 inches in dimensions. Smaller than a piece of letter paper. It was an abstract, mainly of primary colours. I was part of the lower-left corner.

SHIVERS - A woman stands proudly in front of the Humanities art exhibition, her hands on her hips as some muscular builders hang the large painting titled 'Suffering' onto the wall with great care.

This will be my finest accomplishment, the woman thinks.

PIN - The gallery was left abandoned for an age, and then uncovered by *them*. One of them dismantled and cut me into the pin which you see before you.

YOU - Who are 'them'?

PIN - The ones you're looking for. And... Look, I like you, detective. You've got an eye for art. So I'm going to give you a warning before go kaput.

YOU - What warning?

PIN - The pin rolls forward in your cupped hand, almost like it's leaning in conspiratorially. It's about to tell you a secret.

INLAND EMPIRE - Yes? YES? WHAT? WHAT IS THE WARNING??

PIN - The paintings... That's not *all* the bastards took.

With that, the pin lies dead in your palm.

YOU - What did the brooch mean by that?

LOGIC - [Failure] Not sure. The mobsters could have taken many things from the abandoned buildings and along the coast.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - Congratulations. You've been staring at this pin for about an hour. Now go to the bookstore and buy another Dick Mullen novel.

INLAND EMPIRE - Or find another mysterious, supra natural case there.

YOU - You don't find another mystery for yourself, but you *do* buy a new Dick Mullen novel at Annette's recommendation. It turns out to be a mystery about a murder in a finance office, which leads Mullen to a case involving some political intrigue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am once again splitting chapters because this one ended up being longer than I expected. This time, I had to split this chapter three ways. Three.


	7. Date Night

YOU - You're about to enter the Whirling-in-Rags. It's five minutes before 21:00.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - You're heart is a hammer. Take slow, deep breathes.

COMPOSURE - [Failure] What if he's not there? What if he's too hurt to come down the stairs? What if he's realised that he doesn't want to be with you and left town?

LOGIC - His Coupris Kineema is still outside. See? It's right over there.

COUPRIS KINEEMA - The well-kept blue and white vehicle looks at you cheerily. Like it's being supportive of you and your goals.

YOU - You give it a friendly half-wave.

INLAND EMPIRE - See? Kim hasn't rejected you.

WHIRLING-IN-RAGS - You walk through the summer entrance and look past the swirling lights...

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - He's there!

KIM - Sitting at the bar of the cafeteria is Kim. He waves at you across the room like this is the simplest thing in the world.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Your heart is doing something in a really big way.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - It's like your lungs are a cathedral filled with humming bees and honey. It is not unpleasant.

REACTION SPEED - You wave back.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - As you walk closer, you can see that Kim is wearing... a leather jacket.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - More precisely, *your* leather jacket. The black one that says Fuck The World on the back. You can't see the words from this angle, but they are as clear as day in your mind's eye.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - O-Oh my god...

YOU - Huh?!

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Don't you see?! He's trying to send you a message!

YOU - What message?

LOGIC - [Failed] That we should 'fuck the world'?

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - No, you idiot. That we should fuck *Kim*. He's trying to send us hints that he loves us too.

EMPATHY - Are you sure? Kim does not seem to be the sort of person who would paste a message like that across his chest. He is subtle like that.

LOGIC - Why not simply *ask* him. You're good at asking questions. It's your job.

YOU - You're in front of the bar now, next to Kim.

SUGGESTION - Please say something cool.

YOU - "The fun has arrived!"

SUGGESTION - [Failure] I give up.

GARTE, THE CAFETERIA MANAGER - Garte is behind the counter, polishing a beer glass. But he might as well exist five miles around the corner.

KIM - "I hope you don't mind me borrowing one of your jackets. You left your wardrobe out and it was getting cold in just a shirt."

INLAND EMPIRE - But wait... Wasn't the brown leather one meant to be his?

CONCEPTUALIZATION - He picked the less aggressive of the two jackets.

AUTHORITY - Are you the sort of lawman who will *let* other men 'borrow' your things without your permission?

YOU - Yes?

AUTHORITY - Wha... At least rib him about it!

YOU - "Kim..." you shake your head solemnly. "You stole my jacket. I'm afraid I'm gonna have to book you for that."

KIM - The lieutenant smiles and huffs out a breath of laughter and you feel like you've solved a crime.

YOU - "So you're finally showing the world you've got an anarchistic side?"

KIM - "Not quite, detective." He turns around so you can have a look at the other side of him.

INTERFACING - He taped the back of it.

INLAND EMPIRE - Aw...

KIM - He completes the turn and smiles. He's enjoying that he's ruined the fun of it.

YOU - "No fair, Kim."

KIM - He shrugs smugly. "Life is full of disappointments."

YOU - You take a closer look at how Kim wears the jacket...

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - The material stretches over him, making his form appear bigger, in a similar way to his bomber jacket. He's left it unzipped, allowing you to see the dip of his clavicle, just below the neck.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - He looks fiiiiiiiiiiiine.

INLAND EMPIRE - Kim must have been a delinquent in a previous life. He wears the jacket *too* well. *Suspiciously* well.

LOGIC - He did do undercover work in the past. In the Juvenile Crime Unit of Precinct 57.

SUGGESTION - Alright, I'm back. I had to go away for a bit from contact embarrassment. But you need me, so here I am.

YOU - Thanks, brain.

SUGGESTION - You're welcome. Now suggest to Kim that the two of you should have a drink.

VOLITION - NOT ALCOHOL. Not for you!

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - God, how can you go out for drinks if you *can't drink*?!

VOLITION - Have orange juice. Coffee. Just not booze.

YOU - "Some drinks! A glass of orange juice for me, and for my partner..." You pause expectantly at Kim.

KIM - "A fireball."

ENCYCLOPEDIA - A fireball is a whisky combined with cinnamon flavouring and sweeteners. It is 33% alcohol. The typical bottle label design depicts a horse in flames.

GARTE, THE CAFETERIA MANAGER - Garte hums a response to show that he heard you and moves to get the appropriate bottles.

EMPATHY - 'There better not be a bartender joke by the end of this,' thinks Garte. He is waiting for it. Like an owl about to be pounced on by a panther whose location is yet unknown.

HALF LIGHT - It's not a question of *if*, so much as *when*, in his mind.

INLAND EMPIRE - Joke's on him, because we aren't going to do it.

GARTE, THE CAFETERIA MANAGER - There is a moment filled with the soft music of the Whirling-in-Rags, and Garte slides the different shaped glasses over.

VISUAL CALCULUS - The total will come to 5 reál. You have 23 reál in your pocket.

YOU - "Ah, ah," you say with a wave of your hand towards Kim as he reaches for his wallet. "I'll pay."

COMPOSURE - A gentleman.

YOU - After you become 5 reál poorer, you take your glass.

PERCEPTION (TASTE) - You had forgotten how much you liked orange juice. It's sweet and refreshing. It vaguely reminds you of how the air around you feels after a rain shower.

KIM - Kim takes his glass of amber liquid and holds it out towards you.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - [Failure] He wants us to drink it! He's sharing!

LOGIC - Actually, he's waiting for us to do a toast.

ENCYCLOPEDIA - Toasting with water is considered bad luck on the isles, but orange juice should be fine.

REACTION SPEED - Think of what to toast to.

YOU - You decide to ad-lib something. What that something is, you haven't decided yet. "A toast! To..."

AUTHORITY - To the RCM.

DRAMA - To truth.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - To love.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - To sex!

INLAND EMPIRE - It's on the tip of your tongue...

YOU - "To... the mysteries of the universe."

KIM - "To the mysteries of the universe." Kim moves his hand up to clink his glass against yours. *Clink*!

EMPATHY - Normally, he would not toast to 'the mysteries of the universe', but he's thankful you didn't want to toast to something absolutely bizarre, like a cryptid that's never been discovered.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - And 'mysteries of the universe' can be interpreted as cases you both need to solve. He likes that. It's a nice way for you both to meet in the middle.

YOU - You take a sip.

RHETORIC - It's not alcohol, but orange juice is often mixed with it. So this is vaguely *like* wine and beer and vodka, but without the guilt you feel afterwards.

KIM - Kim downs a fair amount of it in a few gulps. When he sets the glass down, it's already half empty.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Kim looks so cool.

VOLITION - He's a great investigator and a great human being.

ENDURANCE - Oh god, Harry. It's bad. You've got it very bad for this man. Your heart belongs to him and he doesn't even know it.

HALF LIGHT - Let's hope he doesn't throw your heart on the ground and grind it beneath his feet.

VOLITION - Kim would never do that.

YOU - "The jacket looks great." You feel almost drunk with happiness. A part of you is thankful that you aren't actually drunk. You are prone to say stupid things while drunk.

RHETORIC - Saying stupid things isn't exclusive to being drunk, in your experience.

KIM - Kim doesn't say anything. He quirks the corners of his mouth up before bringing them down again. A lightning smile.

EMPATHY - [Failure] He didn't know what to say in response because... you're not sure why. Whatever was going through his head is a mystery.

SUGGESTION - Say something else.

YOU - Can you give me a 'for instance'?

SUGGESTION - [Failure] For instance... Uh...

CONCEPTUALIZATION - Say something funny.

SAVOIR FAIRE- Say something *cool*.

YOU - "So I hear that Garte wants to set up more pinball machines. Will this mean that a certain pinball master will be making a reappearance?"

KIM - Kim hums, pretending to give this consideration. "No, I think not."

YOU - "Aww, Kim! You've at least got to teach me how to play pinball."

KIM - He looks you right in the eye. "Not in a hundred years."

EMPATHY - He's smiling. He's been doing a lot of that lately with you.

INLAND EMPIRE - This is how it goes. You treat him like one of your friends, because if you get married, he's supposed to be your best friend. Like the song goes.

REACTION SPEED - Woah, woah, woah. *Married*? Who said anything about getting married?

RHETORIC - Can members of homosexual underground *get* married?

YOU - Do I know the answer to this?

ENCYCLOPEDIA - [Failure] Information unknown. Insufficient data. You don't even know if homosexuality has be decriminalised in Jamrock.

YOU - Damn...

ENCYCLOPEDIA - We should gather more information on this later. Something to think about.

KIM - Kim is finishing his glass.

YOU - "Hey, Kim? Are there any types of marriage that are *illegal*?"

LOGIC - WE SAID GATHER INFO ON THIS *LATER*. NOT RIGHT NOW, YOU IDIOT.

PERCEPTION (HEARING) - A sliding sound of glass being put on a table informs you that Garte is still there. Right behind the counter. He had somehow disappeared from existence from your perspective, but he was there.

YOU - Hang on. Has Garte been listening this whole time?

PERCEPTION - [Failure] God knows.

YOU - Would it be bad if he's been following my entire conversation with Kim?

EMPATHY - Okay, so... imagine you're Garte. You've been managing cafeterias for years. You're at the front of the counter you're currently managing. You're cleaning glasses for tomorrow morning.

YOU - Okay. I'm picturing this perfectly.

EMPATHY - Right. So. Imagine you're daydreaming about how you're going to set up more pinball machines around the place... when suddenly, you look up and realise that an RMC officer is hitting on another RCM officer. Badly. What would *you* do in this situation?

YOU - I... Fuck, I don't know!

EMPATHY - [Failure] Neither do I.

GARTE, THE CAFETERIA MANAGER - "Free refill?" he asks, gesturing to the lieutenant's empty glass.

KIM - Kim's attention is redirected to the allure of free alcohol. "Thank you, yes."

GARTE, THE CAFETERIA MANAGER - Garte obliges. And you realise Kim isn't answering the question about marriage. Because it's been pushed out of his mind.

EMPATHY - Oh. Apparently, Garte's the sort of person who would act as a wingman.

YOU - That's a surprise. But I'll take it.

RHETORIC - He helped you get out of an awkward conversation with your non-date. You owe him now. Big time.

EMPATHY - He doesn't know this is a date. He may not even be aware of the homosexual underground. This is his way of showing that he still thinks about the tribunal.

KIM - Kim takes a sip and turns back to you with a look with what you can only describe as *fondness*.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - Your heart swells.

VOLITION - It feels relaxed. Just two badass men having a drink together.

SUGGESTION - Wait. Stop. Reverse. Play that back.

VOLITION - I said, 'Just two badass men having a drink together'.

SUGGESTION - Exactly. Harrier, I think we have a problem here.

YOU - What problem?

SUGGESTION - It's *too* relaxed. *Too* familiar. There is a distinct lack of... sexual and romantic tension.

LOGIC - The deduction comes crashing down upon you--This isn't a date. Not really. Because Kim doesn't realise that it is.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - So it unbecomes. It unbecomes a date. It is now just two RCM officers on break together.

PAIN THRESHOLD - The sensation is sickening. Like a poison that seeps through your whole body, spreading like molasses. A combination of disappointment in the situation and a guilt--You weren't honest with Kim.

KIM - Kim moves an eyebrow up by a fraction. It's invisible to everyone else, but you have become so finely-tuned to Kim's expressions that you see it clear as day.

EMPATHY - He knows that something's up.

COMPOSURE - Your face is too easy to read on occasion.

KIM - "Detective? You've gone quiet."

SUGGESTION - Kim is waiting for your response. Do you want to tell him or not.

YOU - Not. Definitely not.

AUTHORITY - Taking the coward's way out already?

DRAMA - You can recover from this, sire. Just say something to transition to *something else*. A new subject to talk about.

INLAND EMPIRE - [Failure] New idea, coming right up...

YOU - "Kim, I'm bisexual."

DRAMA - [Failure] You're on your own, my liege.

HALF LIGHT - Harry. What. The hell. Did you just do?

KIM - The lieutenant appears to short circuit. Whatever he expected you to say, it was not that. "I... Oh. Good."

COMPOSURE - [Failure] You're utterly unable to speak for a moment.

YOU - Why was THAT the thing I decided to say?!

INLAND EMPIRE - Look, it's hard to be your conduit to the universe. I'm so sorry, Harry...

LOGIC - Well, judging by Garte's lack of a reaction in the background, he either wasn't listening, or is pretending he didn't.

KIM - Kim takes this silence as you feeling hurt by his reaction. "No, no, I think it's great. I just didn't know you were going to say that out of a clear blue sky." He makes a motion with his hand, like a conjuring trick. "I thought you said you were done with thinking about your--and other people's--sexuality."

EMPATHY - 'We should have made a toast to your self-realisation,' thinks Kim. He believes these moments of identity are important.

YOU - You smile your best smile. "Detective's motto, Kim--'Always expect the unexpected'. And I'm full of surprises. A real man of mystery. Gotta keep you on your toes."

KIM - Kim sighs and shakes his head, but he isn't able to hide his grin from you. "You are impossible."

YOU - You deploy your finger pistols in self-defence. "You love it."

SUGGESTION - That was almost a flirt.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Combined with the context of you talking about sexuality earlier, it *was* a flirt.

KIM - "Seriously though," Kim sets his glass down, going into a more serious mode. "Something is going on in your mind. You're nervous about something. What's happened?"

EMPATHY - Kim either knows you very well, or has gained the supra natural ability to read your thoughts.

LOGIC - Occam's Razor. The simplest solution is often the correct one.

YOU - "I... uh..."

PAIN THRESHOLD - Don't tell him a thing.

SUGGESTION - Tell him something vague.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Tell him to kiss you! That you'll turn into ash if you don't.

KIM - "You don't have to tell me. It's okay if you need more time. Or want to ruminate on it by yourself..."

EMPATHY - 'As a thought project,' he muses to himself.

KIM - "But whatever it is, I want you to know that I will listen. I know I didn't believe you about cryptids..." he glances at his boots hanging from the bar stool. "You were right. But I will try to have a more open mind in the future."

ESPRIT DE CORPS - Ah, how two partners are like clay. Molding and reforming and reshaping each other without even realising...

VOLITION - You can trust him. Just as he trusts you. And you've always known this.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - You take in a breath, and it feels sweeter than any breath you can remember.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - You look at Kim, drinking him in, as the rotating lights from the cafeteria's disco ball swirl around, painting both you and Kim in cascading flecks of gold.

INLAND EMPIRE - And--for a single, solitary moment--everything is *perfect*.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - You suddenly have an intrusive thought. You're perched on a ridge of concrete by the docks, overlooking the sun sinking beneath the waves. Kim is sitting in your lap, facing you. His lithe form stretches--allowing you to see the muscles of his stomach poking out from the helm of his untucked shirt.

He pulls you forward, by your tie, and leans in to begin kissing your neck--

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Oh wow.

VOLITION - Cease and desist.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - If you keep thinking about this, I will not be responsible for what happens afterwards. And it will be embarrassing.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Harry, baby, you're killin' me here. We're never gonna get anywhere with Kim's heart if you don't do something.

AUTHORITY - You need to take control of the situation. Grab it by the collar and metaphorically shake it.

DRAMA - You weren't honest with him about it before, sire? Then *be* honest with him now. Turn the lie into a truth.

YOU - "I-I wanted to ask you here, off hours, because... well, I wanted you to know how much you mean to me."

KIM - The lieutenant doesn't speak.

DRAMA - Go on.

YOU - "I think you're amazing."

KIM - Kim looks at you like he can't comprehend what you're saying. "*Why* do you?"

RHETORIC - [Failure] 'Why'?! This shouldn't be a question. As if he doesn't know, after how he's helped us. The lieutenant doesn't lack confidence. What is this?!

LOGIC - [Failure] Your brain feels fuzzy.

YOU - "Um... It's obvious. To me."

KIM - There it is. Kim looks at you like you've solved a big case. He's no longer smiling. He's looking at you with surprise and... is that a bit of *awe*?

ESPRIT DE CORPS - You've seen something inside him that so many others have not. You've only known him for a sliver of time, but you were able to find something people who have known him for *decades* haven't.

YOU - I wish I could word this better. Fuck.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - Attempt to explain what you like about Kim.

INLAND EMPIRE - The words starts to tumble out of you. You're not quite in autopilot, not quite possessed, but rather, in an esoteric, dreamlike state.

YOU - "I woke up in this really strange, confusing world. And you were there, and you were one of the few people who didn't outright hate me. And I just. Saw you and knew that you'd throw yourself in death's way to save me."

ESPRIT DE CORPS - Maybe don't directly quote me to Kim. What I have to say should be kept confidential and on the down low.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - You can quote me any time! Imagine. KIM knowing ME.

YOU - "A-And I didn't know what I was doing. I had no clue about how to be a detective. And you walked me through it. And... it turned out... we're *good* partners together..."

KIM - Kim looks like he wants to say something--*Anything* to get you to stop--but you keep going.

COMPOSURE - He isn't good at this. At being this open about feelings. With no humour to use as a defence. This is raw and scary.

YOU - "And you're a *kind* cop despite all the shit we get and all the corruption and people being fucking racist. But despite it all, you've stayed good. Because you believe in this place. You're stoic and straight-laced, but you're still willing to compromise in all the right ways, like letting me play Wirrâl with you during a case, and wearing a bomber jacket as your uniform--something that no other officer wears." You pause for a moment before adding, "And you're *cool*."

DRAMA - YES, sire! Speak from the heart! Speak truthfully!

YOU - "And you saved my life at the tribunal. And I got so frightened when I thought you were going to get shot..."

CONCEPTUALIZATION - You are *so* close to confessing your feelings. You can feel the sentence forming in your head.

INLAND EMPIRE - It's shaped like mist, but if you could just reach out and grasp it, it will turn solid.

YOU - "Ah... Kim... I..."

KIM - Kim's eyes widen behind his frames. Something in him clicks into place. The Realisation. He knows. He. *Knows*.

YOU - "I..."

HALF LIGHT - Uh, Harry. There's a group of mobsters who have just entered the cafeteria.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week's chapter might take longer than a week to post because I still need to finish the illustration for it, and my hand is still in a tenser from an injury I had recently, so I won't be able to finish the drawing until my hand is healed up.


	8. Dying Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ended up being my fav chapter to write in this fic so far (aka: Honey, you've got a big storm coming).
> 
> [Illustration 2](https://www.deviantart.com/katy133/art/The-Whirling-in-Rags-Cafeteria-871207500) by Katy133.

HALF LIGHT - Harry. Earth to Harry. I said that there's a group of mobsters in the cafeteria.

YOU - Huh?!

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - Three men--one of whom is Trilby--are standing across the cafeteria floor from you. They've got something large with them. They are looking directly at you.

VISUAL CALCULUS - [Failure] How the fuck did they get in here so fast?!

LOGIC - They entered through the summer entrance. It was locked for winter the last time you were in Martinaise.

YOU - You take a closer look at the two you've never seen before. The tallest one has pale eyes that remind you of the moon.

AUTHORITY - Judging by the way they carry themselves, Moon is the leader. In fact, Trilby is the lowest in their group's hierarchy.

YOU - The other new guy has a gruff face. He is wearing an orange bomber jacket with RCM rectangles.

COMPOSURE - [Failure] You are going to kill him. You are going to take that jacket back, and then you are going to *kill* him.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - Whether you kill him or not, he's wearing RCM iconography, which is absolutely not for civilians. That jacket is going back to the lieutenant as soon as possible.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - They have also brought along with them... a wagon. There is a tarp on it, covering something.

YOU - What's under the tarp?

INLAND EMPIRE - Your doom, Harry.

YOU - Hmm, sounds ominous. But I think we need to deal with the mafia guys here right now.

KIM - From the corner of your eye, you can see Kim is staring intensely at them. He is trying to do so as calmly as he can.

MOON, THE LEADER - "Well, well, well. If it isn't the 'detectives' of Martinaise." The leader turns to survey the area.

VISUAL CALCULUS - He's checking the joint--There's few enough customers that they won't overpower him, but enough to act as witnesses to whatever carnage takes place.

SUGGESTION - Say something.

YOU - I don't even know what to say... This is a lot right now.

AUTHORITY - If it was the one wearing the jacket--Kim's *torturer*--it would be a lot easier to know what to say--You'd hurl profanities.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - And hurl your fists.

MOON, THE LEADER - He turns his attention back to you. "Well. Here we all are."

YOU - "Uh, yeah."

COMPOSURE - [Failure] You can feel all 24 of us putting our intangible heads into our intangible hands.

MOON, THE LEADER - "It's been *fun* having this cat and mouse game up until this point, but I think it's time we come to an *understanding* now."

RHETORIC - Firstly, it *hasn't* been fun. Secondly, who is the mouse in this situation?

AUTHORITY - I think we should teach him who the real cat in this game is.

KIM - "An 'understanding'? Yes, I think an understanding would be *very nice*..."

COMPOSURE - Kim's jaw is clenched. He's trying very hard not to let everything get to him. It is taking considerable effort.

MOON, THE LEADER - "You see, we're just running a *business* here in Martinaise. We're new in town. But you officers won't be staying here for very long."

EMPATHY - [Failure] Is he threatening us, or implying that the RCM don't run Martinaise?

YOU - "Is that a threat?"

AUTHORITY - Your voice is hard. Like granite sliding over steel. Accusatory.

MOON, THE LEADER - "Ah, no, officer. I simply observed that the RCM are not *regulars* around here."

COMPOSURE - His voice has a slight hitch before it recovers. Your method of asking him at point blank is like a sledgehammer to his attempts at subtlety.

DRAMA - He speaks the truth, sire. He does not plan on making direct threats until later in the conversation.

MOON, THE LEADER - "So I assumed that the two of you arrived, took a look around, and after finding *nothing of interest*, you plan on leaving in your little blue car and driving off to Jamrock."

SUGGESTION - Or rather, he *wants* you to find 'nothing of interest'. Because in would be in his best interest.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - When can we start throwing punches?

AUTHORITY - I agree. Need I remind you that we are the law? And that these men are trying to overpower the RCM?

YOU - You stroke your mutton chops in mock consideration. "We *would* leave and call it a night... except *somebody* went and broke the law..."

KIM - "We have no intention of leaving until the peace has been restored to Martinaise."

ESPRIT DE CORPS - The RCM is meant to keep the peace. Crime disturbs the peace. This is where you come in.

AUTHORITY - Time to bring out the big guns.

ENCYCLOPEDIA - Remember the proper wording.

YOU - "Moon. Jacket. Trilby. You're coming with us. I'm arresting you for racketeering."

TRILBY - Trilby takes a step back. Not enough to leave the Whirling-in-Rags however. He ideally would have wanted his step back to have moved him twenty kilometres.

JACKET - "WHAT did you call us?!"

EMPATHY - They seem taken aback from the way you addressed them.

SUGGESTION - It's like the whole 'You're under arrest' thing didn't even sink in.

YOU - "Look, we can either do this the easy way or the hard way..."

PAIN THRESHOLD - Please don't let it be the hard way...

YOU - "... So, if you're *really* just a couple of entrepreneurs, you don't have to worry about anything, right?"

RHETORIC - You're doing that thing again. Becoming the human can-opener.

MOON, THE LEADER - "Officer, we'd *love* to come along to your little station. But I don't think your fellow officers will fully *appreciate* what we're trying to accomplish here."

ENCYCLOPEDIA - Precinct 41's station includes an office, archives, interview room, a kitchenette, jail cells, and a forensics department. It is far from 'little'.

SUGGESTION - The way Moon stresses his words... This is shady as hell.

LOGIC - This is all code for, 'Don't get more police officers involved'.

YOU - "This is all super-shady."

MOON, THE LEADER - "Making money? That's a *crime* now? We're not putting a gun to anyone's head."

RHETORIC - No, but you're putting a lighter to their paychecks.

DRAMA - Do not let his earnest tone deceive you, me liege. The words coming forth from his mouth are simply his means of trying to wiggle out of this situation. He does not believe them.

SUGGESTION - Hey, Harry. Can we talk for a moment?

YOU - What's up?

SUGGESTION - You're objective here is to convince these guys to stop what they're doing and come quietly with you.

RHETORIC - And *they* meanwhile are trying to convince *you* to leave.

SUGGESTION - Right. So you're going to have to find a way to win this.

AUTHORITY - You are the Law, Harry. Remember that.

YOU - Alright. So what's the quickest way to do this? I'm pretty hell-bent on stopping them after what happened to Kim.

SUGGESTION - I would suggest letting them say what their demands are in plain English--no subtext--and then refuse said demand.

AUTHORITY - And then you *tell* them what's *actually* going to happen.

SUGGESTION - You just need to ask him to come quietly with you again. That should get him to tell you his offer.

YOU - "We're wasting time here. Again, easy way or hard way?"

MOON, THE LEADER - "Let me try to appeal to your better nature." He reaches into a small breast pocket, where his wallet is poking out.

SUGGESTION - Here comes the bribe...

MOON, THE LEADER - "50 reál."

CONCEPTUALIZATION - Double what Evrart Claire tried to bribe you with.

ENCYCLOPEDIA - 50 reál is the price of two and a half nights at the Whirling-in-Rags. It is the cost of 10 bottles of Commodore Red, or a pair of FALN Ultra Series Sneakers.

VISUAL CALCULUS - Here is a spreadsheet of all the things you can buy with 50 reál. None of them are worth the safety and wellbeing of Kim Kitsuragi.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - Not even close.

COMPOSURE - A spring inside you tightens further...

RHETORIC - You know the old expression--'They'll give you everything except what you ask for.'

KIM - Kim's reaction is as clear as day for all to see. And that reaction is, 'Are you serious?'

ESPRIT DE CORPS - The idea that you'd accept this offer doesn't even cross his mind.

RHETORIC - It's less a question of accepting the bribe, and more a question of which method we should use to tell them to fuck off.

VISUAL CALCULUS - I will now provide you with a list of possible ways for you to say no. I've listed them in order of 'cutting-ness'.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - Go for cutting.

YOU - Hmm, I'm going to go with crass. These guys deserve rudeness.

VISUAL CALCULUS - Sigh... Very well...

CONCEPTUALIZATION - How rude do you want to be?

YOU - I want this to be as rude as I can. How obscene can I made this?

AUTHORITY - It looks like it is my time to shine. Take a deep breath, recruit. You're going to need it.

YOU - "You can take that reál and shove it up your ass until you fucking choke on it!"

AUTHORITY - More volume. Really go all out.

YOU - "What?! You're trying to pay me so you can suck my dick? I'm worth more than that, you slimeballs!" You pull out both your hands to flip them off for emphasis.

AUTHORITY - PROJECT YOUR VOICE.

YOU - "Why don't you TAKE THAT MONEY AND SPEND IT ON ANOTHER FEDORA, YOU DWEEBS?"

PAIN THRESHOLD - The mobsters wince. They actually *wince*.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - They are ambitious, but *new*. They harmed a member of the RCM. History and the past have made it clear--When someone harms a member of the police, that someone is as good as dead. The gloves are off.

KIM - You're not looking at Kim, but you can feel him staring sideways at you.

EMPATHY - A part of him is getting quite a bit of joy out of this display.

COMPOSER - [Failure] You were meant to just stop there, but you're going off now.

YOU - You puff out your chest. "FUCK YOU. EAT SHIT. AND GO USE YOUR COMICALLY SMALL BRIBE TO BUY A BETTER POT TO PISS IN IN JAIL."

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - Jacket's eyes are bulging now. He resembles a fish that has just noticed a bear ripping into him.

EMPATHY - They're getting more and more exasperated. They just wanted to get in, bribe you, and then get out to continue their work.

TRILBY - "Damn you."

GARTE, THE CAFETERIA MANAGER - It is at this point that Garte--who has up until this point, been standing patiently behind the counter--runs out of the bar and into the double doors of the kitchen.

HALF LIGHT - He is neither a lover nor a fighter.

INLAND EMPIRE - He knew, somewhere deep inside, that something Big is about to happen. He doesn't know what. Just that it *is*.

LOGIC - The mobsters don't react to Garte. I mean, what is a cafeteria manager going to do? Call the police?

MOON, THE LEADER - The tallest man snaps his fingers, looking at Jacket. He has an expression like all this isn't worth his time. "Louie, start the thing."

INLAND EMPIRE - Uh oh.

LOUIE, THE JACKET - Louie's hand touches the device. There is a chunky click, and...

HALF LIGHT - Hell. Hell is what happens.

HELLISH MACHINE - The tarp flies off, revealing something large, metallic, and LOUD.

PERCEPTION (HEARING) - Your eardrums are being *assaulted*. A mixture of static, numbers, music, and godawlful advertisements chatter around you.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - The sound is so intense, the colours of the cafeteria seem to shift and blur, creating the illusion of the walls melting.

LOGIC - This is sickeningly familiar. Ruby's machine...

HELLISH MACHINE - The machine is like a giant barrel of a gun, standing on a tripod in the mobsters' wagon.

LOGIC - It's a pale latitude compressor. And you are caught in its field.

PALE LATITUDE COMPRESSOR - "Hhhhhzzzsss... 133133133... Hhhhhzzzsss... For only 99... Zzzsss..."

ENDURANCE - White noise fills every crack in the few cubic centimetres in your skull. It's like a behemoth trying to fit inside a glass case meant for a ring.

YOU - Why is this so much worse than last time?!

DRAMA - Ruby was being truthful--She *had* used a lower setting.

PAIN THRESHOLD - She was going easy on us. These guys aren't.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - Where is your partner, detective?

KIM - You turn to look at Kim. He's curled forward in a full-body wince. He is clearly in pain, eyes shut.

EMPATHY - This is not going to do his stitches any favours.

YOU - "Kim?!"

KIM - He opens his eyes. "Are you alright, detective?!"

PAIN THRESHOLD - No! We aren't alright! We are the *opposite* of alright!

YOU - "Never better!"

PALE LATITUDE COMPRESSOR - "Hhhhhzzzsss... This is a song about... Hhhhhzzzsss... 101100011000... Hhhzzzsss..."

YOU - You raise your hands to cover your ears.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - Lifting your arms up is like lifting up the world, but you manage to.

PAIN THRESHOLD - This... strangely helps this time?

KIM - Kim does the same.

YOU - You turn to the group of three. "Turn it off!"

MOON, THE LEADER - The men don't respond. Moon simply smiles.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - The smile of a predator.

EMPATHY - He is never going to call off the attack. Not in a million years. He's just waiting for you to crumble. It will set an example of what happens when people try to fight against him.

RHETORIC - You *need* to put that machine out of commission. Once you do that, they'll be closer to harmless.

YOU - Where is my gun?

VISUAL CALCULUS - In your other trenchcoat. You forgot to switch pockets.

YOU - Fuck.

PALE LATITUDE COMPRESSOR - "Hhhhhzzzsss... The Devil Came Through Here... Hhhhhzzzsss... ... Ssssss..."

VISUAL CALCULUS - From where you're standing... if you take off your shoe and throw it *just there*--where I've drawn that blue, arching line--it will hit the exposed antennae, which will remove the signal.

HALF LIGHT - But that would mean taking your hands off your head, exposing your ears...

PAIN THRESHOLD - That sounds very painful. Potentially fatal.

INLAND EMPIRE - The universe branches out into two possibilities--One where you do something and one where you don't.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - If it's a choice between Kim or you surviving this, then you already know who you'd pick.

YOU - Unshielding your eardrums, you chuck the shoe over your head like it's a ball. Your other arm acts as an anchor for added momentum.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - It's like riding a velocipede. You never forget. You throw that fucking shoe like you threw it out your apartment window.

HAND/EYE COORDINATION - Your snakeskin shoe sails merrily across the room and lands smack-dab into the antennae.

It breaks off. The antennae, not the shoe.

SAVOIR FAIRE - Bullseye.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - You can't hear over the noise, but you can see the gangsters react and fumble forward, realising what is happening. Their mouths form swear words that don't reach your ears.

HELLISH MACHINE - The machine begins to power down... slowly... Not a sudden binary from on to off, but to a fading of ones and zeros... The loudness starts to fade.

INLAND EMPIRE - Too late... Too late...

REACTION SPEED - PUT YOUR HANDS BACK OVER YOUR EARS THIS INSTANT.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - You don't move. It feels as if your limbs have been removed with lead substituting them.

PAIN THRESHOLD - There is an intense pain like nothing you've ever felt before. Dear god...

PERCEPTION - The nothingness is pitch white and it's blinding.

ENDURANCE - It isn't only that. You can feel your thoughts *burning away*.

INLAND EMPIRE - The stars of the universe are blinking out of existence! Throw your arms out and catch them. They aren't yet out of reach!

DRAMA - Don't let the curtain fall, sire!

PAIN THRESHOLD - [Failure] IT'S TOO MUCH!

HALF LIGHT - IT'S KILLING US!

YOU - The world goes black and your fading vision approaches the ground. The last thing you see is Kim reaching towards you.

\---

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - Oh, Harry, Harry, Harry... we tried to warn you.

But no, you thought you had it all figured out. That you know best. You *always* do. Because you're Detective God, aren't you?

YOU - I don't call myself that.

LIMBIC SYSTEM - He doesn't *remember* calling himself that. He doesn't remember his past. His past lives. His past mistakes. And now he doesn't even remember his present. He's killed his own mind.

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - Well done, Harry. You've scored your own goal. You've failed Martinaise. You've failed your partner. And you've failed your own brain. You've really fucked up.

YOU - Put me back. I need to get back.

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - Oh, you need to go back, do you? Tell me, *why*?

YOU - 'Why'?

ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - You don't even *remember* why, do you? You've already forgotten what you've decided to stay alive for. It's been obliterated.

YOU - ...

LIMBIC SYSTEM - All you're left with is a clawing, primal feeling at the base of your empty mind. It repeats one futile word to you--*survive*.

\---

You wake up.

The world spins for a bit and then comes to a standstill. The ceiling is off-white. A hanging fan spins. Around and around...

The silence in the room is striking compared to... What? Compared to what? Something that happened earlier, that's for sure.

You start to feel more sensations and realise that you're lying in a bed.

You sit up a little and see a man sitting in a chair set next to you. He's asleep, sitting upright, his head propped up by his hand with the arm attached to it balancing on his knee. This nap does not appear to have been intentional.

Your movements wake him and his response is immediate. There's relief on his face.

"You're awake," he says.

The man in the orange jacket is waiting for you to say something.

You open your mouth. "Who are you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Big thank you to You can find me on Twitter at [Exocredit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/exocredit/pseuds/exocredit) for help on writing angry!Harry while I was stuck.
> 
> Also, this fanfic is now officially the longest fic I've ever written.


	9. Memory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know that Harry's really lost his Skills when the narration style has changed.
> 
> [Illustration 3](https://www.deviantart.com/katy133/art/Disco-Elysium-Harry-Wakes-Up-870223137) by Katy133.

His relieved smile falls.

Whatever you've just said has broken the man. He slumps forward, his head in his hands. A muted sob escapes him.

You're confused by the reaction. All you asked him was who he was.

There's a silence. It's as if you expected someone else to appear and say something, but no one does.

The man is trying to repress his crying. He doesn't want you to hear him.

"Uh... Are you alright?" you ask dumbly.

He tries to stop shaking. He's still burying his face into his hands, wishing that this wasn't reality.

He pulls up something from his jacket--a handkerchief--and presses it to his eyes. They're reddish and watery, but he managed to not quite cry, it turns out. He cleans the lenses of his glasses and puts them back on. "I'm... alright," he says, taking a deep breath. He's being brave. He's also lying.

He continues. "I really should be asking *you* that." He pauses, as if expecting a reaction from you. He doesn't find it, so he continues. "How are you feeling?"

You consider this for a moment, trying to assess your mind and body. You wiggle your fingers and toes. They're all still there. Nothing hurts. Besides the tiredness that comes with just waking up, your body feels okay.

You also can't remember a thing.

\---

He's a police officer, he tells you. And so are you, which you can barely believe. You certainly don't *feel* like a policeman.

He explains that the two of you were working on a case together, involving a protection racket. You nod slowly, trying to process it all. But it feels like you're listening to a story about someone else. Not your past.

You're his partner, he says.

He explains that you saved him. But you don't remember having done so. *How* you saved him feels even more confusing. What the hell is a 'pale latitude compressor'?

But you find out your name--Harry Du Bois.

And then he finally answers your first question--Your partner's name is Kim Kitsuragi.

You don't recall this name at all.

\---

The two of you start walking along an island. It's a small island--you can see the shore from here--and it is warm. Derelict buildings dot the landscape.

Although the island is small, the walk is long. Like you're being put on a mandatory tour of something you're *meant* to be a fan of, but don't know anything about.

The walking does not hurt you however. It's as if your feet still remember. You must have enjoyed walking a lot.

\---

Eventually, you reach a part of the shore that curves into a C shape. A set of playground swings are nearby.

Kim Kitsuragi looks out into the sea. "This used to be covered in ice."

Shielding his eyes from the sun, he's looking out into the water, as if looking for something. Whatever it is, he doesn't find it. There's only water.

Your partner turn back to you. "I took you here because I thought it would help to jog your memory. Look around carefully. Does this remind you of anything?"

You look around.

To the north, you see the ocean, stretching out as far as the eye can see. You don't even know if there *is* land somewhere on the other side.

To the east, you see where you came from. Your footprints fading into the sand. The bridge. The hostel that says 'Whirling-in-Rags' in neon lights. Further into the distance, you can see the city skyline, leading into god knows where.

Opposite to the west, there is a small village. And some larger buildings with fading paint. And... is that a church?

Behind you are a set of swings. Made for two. They are empty.

None of this is meaningful to you.

You shake your head. "Sorry, no."

Kim looks at you like you've failed a very important test.

"Nothing? Just... No, think harder. Please."

You try. You really do. But there's just nothing here connecting. It's several pins on a corkboard but without any red thread.

You can't even bring yourself to say the no aloud. You simply shake your head again.

"Please, just *think*!" He's grabbing you by the shoulders, trying to shake you. You're both taller and thicker than the other man, but this is still scaring you.Although it's not a memory, something inside you tell you that this isn't what investigative partners should do to each other.

It doesn't physically hurt. You just take it for a moment, like a lump of dough.

"God damn you." He doesn't mean it. You know he doesn't mean it.

He slumps forward in defeat, and you hold him up by the shoulders.

You gingerly try to comfort him by patting him on the back, bringing him into a hug. Judging by the way you feel his shuddered breaths, he is silently crying. You feel tears soak through you clothes and into your shoulder.

You realise, you want to lean down and press a kiss into his hair. You want to pull him as close to you as possible and tell him a secret.

But why?

VOLITION - Because you love him.

YOU - Who are *you*??

EMPATHY - We're *you*. And you are us.

INLAND EMPIRE - A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. And karaoke music.

VISUAL CALCULUS - Like the fragments of a smashed disco ball, you gather yourself up, piece by piece...

COMPOSURE - You steady yourself. You're a cup that is overflowing but not breaking.

YOU - And through the blizzard of disco mirror shards, you see them. The twenty-four that complete you as a detective. Your personhood. They each huddle up around you, steadying you. and you feel a great comfort.

You know that you are 43. That your eyes are grey-green.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - That you enjoy running.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - That your soul is blue.

AUTHORITY - That you are listened to.

PERCEPTION - And that you listen to others.

SUGGESTION - You can pull answers from people.

DRAMA - Expose lies.

RHETORIC - Find contradictions.

LOGIC - And unravel puzzles too.

INTERFACING - You like fixing things.

ENCYCLOPEDIA - You know about history.

SHIVERS - And the heartbeat of this city.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - You have an eye for art.

ENDURANCE - You can take a punch.

PAIN THRESHOLD - And you've been through a lot.

EMPATHY - Yet you're still capable of love.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - And of being loved back. You *hound*, you.

SAVOIR FAIRE - You've got a sense of *style*.

REACTION SPEED - A killer on the dance floor.

HAND/EYE COORDINATION - And merciful with a gun.

HALF LIGHT - When you can be. You have regrets.

VOLITION - Your name, Harry Du Bois, is given back to you.

YOU - You are restored.

INLAND EMPIRE - Because in knowing your name, you know yourself. And you know now that there is very little you cannot do.

YOU - "Kim?"

KIM - Kim turns to you, eyes looking into your essence. And you, in turn, can really see him now.

YOU - Before you realise what is happening, you're holding each other in an embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inland Empire's talk about Harry's name is a paraphrased quotation from Planescape Torment, a CRPG that ZA/UM cited as a source of inspiration for Disco Elysium.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to everyone for their comments. I really enjoy receiving them.
> 
> You can find me on Twitter at [@JKaty133](https://twitter.com/JKaty133).


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